UK ETA Checker: Do I Need One?
Need the UK’s ETA? When to apply, and until when it lasts.
United States passport · a visit
Yes: you need an ETA — £20Apply on GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app. A decision usually comes by email within a day, and can take up to 3 working days.
- Fee
- £20
- Apply by
- 3 working days before you travel
- Lasts
- 2 years, or until your passport expires
Your trip, for the dates and the fee
In GOV.UK’s words
Apply on GOV.UK UK ETA app (iPhone) UK ETA app (Android)
Rules: GOV.UK, checked 2026-09-29. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Visitors from the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe need a UK ETA: £20 a person, babies included, from GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app. GOV.UK: “You’ll usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days.” It lasts 2 years or until your passport expires.
How to use it
Pick the passport you will travel on and the kind of trip, then your travel date and how many of you are going. The checker answers in GOV.UK’s own sentences, each linked to its page: an ETA, a visa, or neither. With a date it counts the last day to apply, skipping weekends and bank holidays; with your passport’s expiry date (it stays on this page, never in its address) it says until when the ETA lasts. Copy the link to share the trip with the people you travel with.
The rules, in GOV.UK’s words
“An electronic travel authorisation ( ETA ) lets you travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months.” “You usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you’re from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries.” “Each person travelling needs an ETA , including babies and children.”
The price and the wait: “It costs £20 to apply online or through the UK ETA app.” “You cannot get a refund after you apply.” “You must wait until you get an email confirming you have an ETA before you travel to the UK.” And 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 .”
Who needs a visa instead is set by the Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor: Visa national list: “A person who meets one or more of the criteria below needs entry clearance (a visa) in advance of travel to the UK for any purpose”. The checker holds that list, nationality by nationality.
Who needs what
| Traveller | Trip | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. passport | A visit | An ETA |
| U.S. passport | Changing planes, through border control | An ETA |
| U.S. passport | Changing planes, airside | Nothing |
| Canadian passport | More than 6 months | A visa |
| Hong Kong SAR passport | A visit | An ETA |
| Indian passport | A visit | A visa |
| U.S. and British (dual) | A visit | Nothing (a British passport) |
| Irish passport | A visit | Nothing |
| U.S. passport, living in Ireland | A visit from Ireland | Nothing |
| Australian with a UK visa | A visit | Nothing (the visa) |
Worked examples
A family of four from Boston. Four ETAs, one each, the children too: £80.
Flying on December 29, 2026. Christmas Day and the Boxing Day holiday are not working days, so the last day to apply is Monday, December 21, 2026: then December 22, 23 and 24 pass before you fly.
A passport that runs out in June 2027. An ETA granted on September 29, 2026 would last two years, to September 29, 2028 — but it ends with the passport, on June 1, 2027. Renew first if you can.
Common mistakes
- Paying a lookalike site. GOV.UK: “Other websites may charge more to apply.” “You cannot get a faster decision by applying through another website or app.”
- Forgetting the baby. Every traveller needs one, and you can apply for the others in your group.
- Renewing a passport and flying on the ETA. “Your ETA will be linked to the passport you applied with.” A new passport needs a new ETA.
- Taking an ETA as a guarantee. “An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.”
Plan the trip
Read things to do in London, what not to miss in Edinburgh, what you can only do in the UK, the best airlines to London and the U.S. cities with direct flights. Then check your passport’s validity, visas for the rest of the trip and your Schengen days if Europe comes next.
FAQ
Do US citizens need a UK ETA?
Yes, for a visit of up to 6 months: GOV.UK names the USA among the countries whose people “usually need an ETA rather than a visa”. Dual U.S. and British citizens travel on their British passport instead.
How much does a UK ETA cost?
£20 a person. “You cannot get a refund after you apply.”
How do I apply for a UK ETA?
Online on GOV.UK or in the official UK ETA app; you need the passport you will travel with, an email address and a way to pay, and a photo of your face.
How long does a UK ETA take to get?
“You’ll usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days.” Enter your travel date above for the last day to apply.
How long is a UK ETA valid?
“An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner.” Add your passport’s expiry date above to see which.
Do I need an ETA to change planes in London?
Only if you pass through border control: “You need an ETA if you’re passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing your onward journey.” Staying airside, you do not.
Do children and babies need a UK ETA?
Yes: “Each person travelling needs an ETA , including babies and children.” A parent can apply for them.