UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Decides visa, settlement and citizenship applications and manages eVisas for people coming to or living in the UK.
Home » Visas and immigration » Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Visitors who do not need a visa, including EU citizens, need an ETA to travel to the UK. It is not a permit to live or work here.
Official links
| Official source | Applies to |
|---|---|
| GOV.UK: apply for an ETA www.gov.uk/eta | Whole UK |
| GOV.UK: visiting the UK www.gov.uk/standard-visitor | Whole UK |
Who handles it
Step by step
- Check whether you need an ETA or a visa. You do not need one if you are British or Irish or already have a visa or permission to live, work or study in the UK.
- Apply on the official UK ETA app or on GOV.UK, scanning or uploading your passport and a photo of your face.
- Apply separately for each traveller, including babies and children.
- Travel with the same passport you used to apply.
What you need
- The passport you will travel with.
- An email address.
- A credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Common mistakes
- Using websites that imitate the government: they charge more and cannot get you a faster decision.
- Using an ETA to move here: it does not allow work, stays over 6 months, or marriage or civil partnership.
- Dual British or Irish citizens applying for an ETA: they cannot get one and must travel as British or Irish.
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- Update your UKVI account details
- Graduate visa
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- Global Talent visa
- Claim asylum in the UK
- EU Settlement Scheme
- Indefinite leave to remain (settlement)
- Become a British citizen