Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK

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1. Overview

An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) lets you travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family or certain other reasons for up to 6 months.

An ETA costs 拢16.

Other websites may charge more to apply. Avoid websites that imitate government services.

An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK.

Who needs an ETA

Most visitors travelling to the UK need an ETA or a visa. What you need depends on:

  • your nationality
  • why 测辞耻鈥檙别 coming to the UK

You usually need an ETA rather than a visa if 测辞耻鈥檙别 from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries.

Check if you need an ETA or visa to come to the UK.

There are some people who do not need an ETA, for example if you have:

  • a British or Irish passport
  • permission to live, work or study in the UK

If 测辞耻鈥檙别 travelling as a family or group

Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children.

You can apply for other people.

2. When you do not need an ETA

You do not need an ETA to travel to the UK if:

Dual citizens

If 测辞耻鈥檙别 a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you cannot get an ETA. When you travel to the UK you鈥檒l need to prove your citizenship using:

If you live in Ireland

You do not need an ETA if 测辞耻鈥檙别 both:

  • from a country that would normally need an ETA to travel to the UK
  • entering the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man

If 测辞耻鈥檙别 from a country that needs a visa, you鈥檒l need to apply for a visa before travelling to the UK.

Check if you need a UK visa or ETA.

What documents you鈥檒l need to bring

If 测辞耻鈥檙别 16 or older, you鈥檒l need to bring one of the following:

  • Irish driving licence
  • Irish learner permit
  • medical card
  • GP visit card
  • European Health Insurance Card
  • Irish Residence Permit
  • Permanent Residence Certificate
  • National Age Card
  • diplomatic identity card

The document must be:

  • an original
  • issued by the Irish government
  • valid at the time you travel

If 测辞耻鈥檙别 under 16, you do not need to bring proof you live in Ireland.

3. What you can and cannot do with an ETA

Whether you need to apply for an ETA depends on why 测辞耻鈥檙别 travelling to the UK.

An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. If you have a criminal record or you were previously refused entry into the UK, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead.

What you can do with an ETA

You can:

If 测辞耻鈥檙别 coming to the UK for another reason, check if you need a visa instead.

What you cannot do with an ETA

You cannot:

  • stay in the UK for longer than 6 months
  • do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless 测辞耻鈥檙别 doing a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession
  • claim public funds (benefits)
  • live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
  • marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership - you need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa

4. Apply for an ETA

It costs 拢16 to apply online or through the UK ETA app. You cannot get a refund after you apply.

You cannot get a faster decision by applying through another website or app.

You鈥檒l need:

  • the passport you鈥檒l travel with
  • an email address
  • a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay

When you apply, you鈥檒l need to upload or take photos of the face of the person applying.

Applying for someone else

You can apply for someone else鈥檚 ETA on the UK ETA app if they鈥檙e with you.

If the person 测辞耻鈥檙别 applying for is not with you, you must apply for their ETA online.

You鈥檒l need a photo of their passport and a photo of their face.

Apply on the UK ETA app

You鈥檒l need to use your phone鈥檚 camera to scan your passport and your face.

Download the UK ETA app on:

  • the

If you cannot download the app on your phone, you should apply online.

Apply online

You鈥檒l need a photo of:

  • the passport
  • the face of the person applying

After you apply

You鈥檒l get a decision by email from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), usually within a day. The email will contain your 16 digit ETA reference number.

Contact UKVI if you haven鈥檛 had a decision after 3 working days.

You may get decisions at different times to other people you applied for.

Your ETA will be linked to the passport you applied with. You only need to show your passport when you travel to the UK.

How long it lasts

An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. You can travel to the UK as many times as you want while you have an ETA.

Get help

You can: