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We are improving ship a extra streamlined, digital immigration system which will probably be faster and safer for the hundreds of thousands of people that cross via the UK border annually.
Visitors to the UK want an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) if they don’t want a visa for brief stays of as much as six months, or don’t have already got a UK immigration standing. Visitors with out an ETA will be unable to board their transport and can’t journey to the UK, except exempt.
Eligible guests who take connecting flights (transiting) and undergo UK passport management want an ETA. Those transiting via Heathrow and Manchester airports who don’t undergo UK passport management don’t at present want an ETA.
An ETA is a digital permission to journey – it isn’t a visa or a tax and doesn’t allow entry into the UK – it authorises an individual to journey to the UK.
British and Irish residents don’t want an ETA, together with twin residents.
Applying for an ETA is fast and easy. Most candidates at present get an computerized determination in minutes when making use of via the UK ETA app. Visitors can discover extra details about making use of for an ETA on GOV.UK
An ETA at present prices £20 and permits a number of journeys to the UK for stays of as much as six months at a time over two years or till the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. Other utility providers could cost the next charge than the UK Government.
As with all our charges the price of an ETA is stored underneath overview.
The introduction of ETAs is according to the strategy many different international locations have taken to frame safety, together with the US and Australia, and helps forestall the arrival of those that current a risk to the UK.
How do individuals apply for an ETA?
- The best solution to apply for an ETA is thru the ‘UK ETA app’, which could be downloaded from the Google Play or Apple App Store.
- Applying for an ETA is fast and easy. Most candidates at present get an computerized determination in minutes when making use of via the UK ETA app.
- It is advisable that individuals apply for an ETA at the least three working days upfront of journey, that is to take account of the small variety of instances which can want additional overview.
- To apply for an ETA, people have to:
- Provide contact and passport particulars
- Provide a legitimate photograph, complying with our guidelines for digital photographs on GOV.UK
- Answer a set of suitability and criminality questions
- Individuals should journey utilizing the identical passport they used once they utilized for his or her ETA.
Further info on methods to apply earlier than coming to the UK is out there on GOV.UK
How does an ETA assist UK border safety?
- Those making use of for an ETA present their biographic, biometric and get in touch with particulars, and reply a brief set of questions on suitability and criminality. This will increase our data about these looking for to return to the UK and prevents the arrival of those that current a risk.
What occurs if somebody is just not capable of receive an ETA?
- If an individual’s ETA utility is rejected, they are going to be instructed the rationale and may apply once more.
- If an individual’s ETA utility is refused, they can’t attraction and as a substitute have to apply for a visa in the event that they nonetheless want to search permission to return to the UK.
How does ETA work in Northern Ireland?
- The UK doesn’t function routine immigration controls on journeys from throughout the Common Travel Area, with no immigration controls by any means on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.
- However, everybody arriving within the UK, together with these coming into Northern Ireland, continueto have to enter according to the UK’s Immigration Rules together with acquiring an ETA if they’re required.
- British and Irish residents don’t want an ETA.
- Legal residents of Ireland, from a nationality that doesn’t often want a visa to go to the UK (e.g. European and US nationals), don’t want an ETA when touring throughout the Common Travel Area (CTA), if they will present proof of authorized residency. Full steering on this may be discovered at GOV.UK
What do individuals do in the event that they apply via a fraudulent web site?
- We direct these eligible for an ETA to search out out details about making use of on the official GOV.UK web site.
- If somebody believes they’ve been sufferer to an immigration web rip-off, they need to report it on GOV.UK
- People can confirm in the event that they maintain a legitimate ETA standing utilizing the Check My ETA service on GOV.UK.
How many individuals have utilized for an ETA?
- There had been 24.8 million Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) issued for the reason that launch of the scheme (October 2023) as much as the top of 2025.
- We publish knowledge on the variety of ETA functions grants and rejections on GOV.UK
What ETA means for twin British residents
- Dual British citizens are exempt from needing an ETA and are anticipated to current both a legitimate British passport or Certificate of Entitlement when travelling to the UK. British passports could be renewed at GOV.UK
- This is a requirement for all British residents no matter different nationality and is similar strategy taken by different international locations, together with the US, Australia and Canada.
- In November 2025, we introduced the enforcement of ETA from 25 February 2026, which included details about the requirement for twin residents: No permission, no travel: UK set to enforce ETA scheme – GOV.UK
- Further info for twin British residents could be discovered on GOV.UK
Why are you altering passport guidelines for twin residents?
- The UK is shifting to a modernised ‘digital permission’ system the place worldwide carriers are required to substantiate, via automated checks towards Home Office information, that passengers have legitimate permission or standing to journey to the UK. All carriers (e.g. airways, maritime and rail) have now been outfitted with the mandatory instruments to confirm journey permission through automated digital checks with the Home Office.
- We recognise that it is a important change for carriers and travellers, however we’ve got been clear on necessities for twin British residents to journey with a legitimate British passport or Certificate of Entitlement, according to these for all British residents.
- Public info strongly advising twin residents to journey with a legitimate UK passport or Certificate of Entitlement has been accessible since October 2024, together with official steering on GOV.UK.
- We have delivered a complete vary of communications and engaged with an intensive community of stakeholders, together with international carriers and operators. We have despatched emails to these impacted we maintain legitimate contact particulars for. And we’ve got included info for twin residents in our ETA communications marketing campaign which has been working since 2023.
Can twin British residents use different paperwork as proof of citizenship?
- We recognise it is a important change for carriers and travellers, and so we’ve got supplied extra non permanent steering to carriers on potential different documentation, together with expired passports issued in 1989 or later and alongside a legitimate non-visa nationwide third nation passport the place biographic particulars match. It is an operational determination whether or not carriers settle for different proof, and in that case, what different proof they are going to settle for.
- We strongly suggest that passengers ought to receive a British passport or Certificate of Entitlement to make sure the smoothest journey expertise.
- Certificates of Entitlement will probably be issued in digital format. This implies that a certificates solely must be utilized for as soon as, slightly than expiring along with your passport.
- In line with present observe, on arrival on the UK border, Border Force will nonetheless assess an individual’s suitability to enter the UK and conduct extra checks if required.
What occurs if a twin British citizen must journey in an emergency?
- Individuals who’ve beforehand had a British passport can apply for an emergency journey doc in the event that they urgently have to enter the UK.
Further steering on ETAs is out there on GOV.UK
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta-factsheet-april-2026/
and if you wish to take away this text from our website please contact us
