Travel Tips Travelling to the UK

ETA UK visa guide: What you need to know

Emma-Jane Stogdon

05.02.25 (last updated)

Read time 2 minutes

Travelling to the UK any time soon? You may need to apply for Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), under new UK Government rules.

Starting from 8th January 2025, tourists from certain countries such as the US, Australia and Canada will need to apply for ETA before they can enter the UK. This requirement will be extended to EU travellers later in 2025.¹

It’s an expansion of an ETA scheme the UK already has in place - which formerly only applied to tourists from a handful of Middle Eastern countries.¹

Read on to find out more about the new ETA UK visa and how it’ll affect your travel plans. We’ll look at how much it costs, who needs it, requirements and deadlines to apply.

Who needs to get a UK ETA visa?

The UK ETA is for people who are coming to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, short-term study, business purposes (not employment) or to visit friends or family.²

You don’t need it if you:²

Already have a visa
Are a British or Irish citizen
Already have permanent residency in the UK
Live in Ireland and are travelling from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man
Have dual British or Irish citizenship.

Deadlines to apply for the UK ETA

As of 8th January 2025, tourists from certain countries are required to apply for an ETA before visiting the UK.

This includes:³

The United States
The UAE
Australia
Canada
Japan
Malaysia
Mexico
New Zealand
Singapore
South Korea.

The full list is available on the UK Government’s website here.

From 2nd April 2025, citizens of EU and European countries will be required to apply for the UK ETA before visiting the country. This includes France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Portugal, the Netherlands and Switzerland.³

For all other nationalities, you may need to apply for a visa instead.³

How to apply for the ETA UK

The good news is that it should be reasonably straightforward to apply for an ETA if you’re planning a visit to the UK.

You can apply online, but it’s advised that the easiest way to do it is via the UK ETA app. It’s available for both Android and iOS devices.

UK ETA requirements

Before you start your application, you’ll need to make sure you have the required details and documents to hand.

Here’s what you’ll need to have ready:²

Your passport (original, not a copy) - this must be the passport you’ll be travelling with
An email address and access to your inbox
A debit or credit card to pay your application fee - you can also pay via Apple Pay or Google Pay.

You don’t need your travel details. You will need to take a selfie photograph of yourself during the application process in order to verify your identity.

How much does it cost?

The application fee for the UK ETA visa is £10 per person.²

This applies to both adults and children, and children each need their own ETA if they’ll be travelling with you. This £10 is non-refundable.

Pay with Wise card 💳

How long does it take?

If you apply via the UK ETA app, it only takes around 10 minutes to submit your application.⁴

It’ll then take up to 3 working days to get a decision, although it occasionally takes longer than this.²

If approved, your ETA will last for 2 years and can be used whenever you travel to the UK during this time.²

And that’s it - our roundup of the major new changes to the UK ETA visa, covering everything you need to know.

So if you’re travelling to the UK soon, make sure you apply as soon as possible.

And while you’re making travel plans, check out the Wise card- it’s perfect for low-fee* worldwide spending in 150+, and always gives you fantastic mid-market exchange rates.

Sources used:

1. BBC Travel - The big changes coming to UK and European travel in 2025
2. GOV.UK - Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)
3. GOV.UK - Check if you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)
4. GOV.UK - Apply for an ETA to come to the UK

Sources last checked on date: 22-Jan-2025

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