How Do I Apply for a UK ETA?

What do I need to apply for a UK ETA, and what are the steps?

To apply for a UK ETA you need your passport, a digital face photo that meets the UK's photo rules, an email address, a payment method and honest answers to the background questions.

What you need

1. The passport you will travel onYour ETA is linked to this one passport, and your passport must cover your whole stay.
   How to get it: Upload a photo of the passport photo page from your phone or computer. Nothing is shipped.
   Watch out: Applying on an old passport, then traveling on a new one. A new passport means a new ETA.
   Who needs it: Every traveler, children included
2. A digital photo of your faceA recent passport-style photo with a plain light background, your face clearly visible and no glasses. A photo that does not meet the UK's digital photo rules can delay or sink the application.
   How to get it: Take it with a phone against a plain wall in even light, then upload it.
   Watch out: Shadows, glasses, hats and busy backgrounds are the usual reasons photos fail.
   Who needs it: Every traveler, children included
3. An email addressThe decision arrives by email with a 16-digit ETA reference number, and you must wait for that email before you travel.
   How to get it: Use an address you check often, and save the reference number on your phone.
   Watch out: Check your spam or junk folder if the email seems late.
   Who needs it: Every applicant
4. A payment methodYou can pay by credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. With us, your total includes the government fee.
   How to get it: You pay PassportsAndVisas.com one total when you place your order.
   Watch out: The fee is not refundable once the application is submitted.
   Who needs it: Every applicant
5. Your answers to the background questionsThe suitability section asks about criminal convictions and any involvement in war crimes, terrorism or extremism. Much of your passport information is captured from the passport photo, so there is little to type.
   How to get it: Answer honestly. We fill in the form and check your answers before submitting.
   Watch out: A declared conviction does not mean automatic refusal, but a caseworker reviews the application, which can take longer.
   Who needs it: Every applicant

What to do, step by step

1. Choose your speed and place your orderPick Standard, Rush or Emergency from the cost table below. Your total includes the government fee.
2. Upload your passport page and face photoSend them online from your phone or computer. Every traveler, including each child, gets their own application.
3. We complete the form and check everythingWe fill in the application and check that your photo looks usable, your details match your passport and your answers are complete. Or let us handle it: PassportsAndVisas.com catches a photo problem before submission.
4. We submit your applicationOnce everything is checked, we submit it.
5. The government reviews itMany decisions come through quickly. A small number go to manual review, and family members may be decided at different times, so make sure everyone is approved before the airport.
6. Your approval email arrivesIt carries a 16-digit ETA reference number. Save it on your phone. There is nothing to print, because airlines check your ETA electronically against your passport.
7. Travel on the same passportFly on exactly the passport you applied with. An ETA does not guarantee entry, because Border Force makes the final decision on arrival.

Who needs a UK ETA, and who needs something else?

Passports from 89 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and the EU countries, need a UK ETA. Passports on the UK visa list need a Standard Visitor visa, and a few passports need nothing.

An ETA covers tourism, family visits and certain other short trips, and also Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. If you change planes and pass through UK border control, you need one too. Passengers who stay airside at Heathrow or Manchester are currently exempt, but that could change, so ask your airline. Other purposes, such as taking a job, may need a different visa.

How much does a UK ETA cost, and how long does it take?

A UK ETA with PassportsAndVisas.com costs $106 at Standard, $126 at Rush and $176 at Emergency, government fee included.

Every total includes the government fee of $27; nothing is paid separately. The government's own processing time of 0-3 days is included in door to door.

Each ETA is valid for 730 days, or until your passport expires if that comes first, and allows multiple visits of up to 180 days each. Applying early carries little risk.

Should I use the UK ETA app or the website?

A UK ETA can be applied for through an app that scans your passport and face with a phone camera, or through a website where you upload photos. With PassportsAndVisas.com, you skip both: you upload once and we complete it.

In the app, the phone scans your passport and your face. On the website, you upload a passport photo and a face photo instead. Either way the same photo rules and questions apply, and the process is the same set of steps above. With us, you upload from a phone or computer and we handle the form.

Can I get a UK ETA at the airport?

No, a UK ETA cannot be obtained at the airport. Your airline, ferry or rail company checks it before you board, so it must be approved and linked to your passport before you leave.

The problem shows up at check-in, not at the UK border. A pending application is not enough: wait for the approval email before setting off. Landside transit also needs an ETA.

If your trip is close, PassportsAndVisas.com can handle the application for you, with options as fast as 1 day door to door.

Can someone else apply for me, and does every family member need their own ETA?

Yes to both: someone can apply on your behalf, and every traveler needs their own UK ETA, including babies and children. There is no family or group permission.

A parent or guardian can apply for a child, and PassportsAndVisas.com can apply for you or for the whole family. Each person still gets their own ETA on their own passport, and decisions can arrive at different times.

At the border, an adult may be asked to prove their relationship to a child, for example if surnames differ. A birth or adoption certificate, a marriage or divorce certificate, or a letter from the parent with their contact details will help. Our United Kingdom visa page covers the options for each traveler.

What mistakes get a UK ETA delayed or refused?

The mistakes that delay or sink a UK ETA are a photo that breaks the digital photo rules, details that do not match the passport, and applying on a passport you will not travel with.

If an application is refused, a new application is needed and the fee is not refunded. That is why we check before we submit.

What if my passport is not on the ETA list?

If your passport is not on the ETA list, you need a Standard Visitor visa (115 passports, including India, China and Nigeria), or you need nothing at all (Irish and Crown Dependency passports).

If your passport is on the UK visa list

Passports from 115 countries, including India, China, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Pakistan and the Philippines, need a Standard Visitor visa. An ETA cannot replace it. The visa allows a stay of up to 180 days, and PassportsAndVisas.com handles the application. It is $331 at Standard (36 days door to door), $431 at Rush (31 days) and $531 at Emergency (26 days), government fee included. A biometrics visit for fingerprints and a photo is part of this route.

If you hold an Irish or Crown Dependency passport

Irish, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey and Isle of Man passport holders need no visa and no ETA.

If you are a dual citizen with British nationality

You cannot get an ETA. Travel on a valid British or Irish passport, or with a certificate of entitlement in your other passport. The visa checker shows the answer for your passport.

Why PassportsAndVisas.com for your UK ETA?

PassportsAndVisas.com completes and checks your UK ETA application for you, with our price including the government fee. We have been a registered expediter since 1992.

• We check your passport details, photo and answers before anything is submitted.
• We complete and submit the application, for one traveler or the whole family.
• Prices from $106, government fee included, with options as fast as 1 day door to door.
• Everything is uploaded online, and nothing is shipped.
• Since 1992, 500K+ travelers served, and 11,766 customer reviews.

PassportsAndVisas.com is a private company, not the U.S. or UK government. Verified 2026-10-21.