Most travellers who never needed a visa now need an electronic authorisation, it cannot be bought at the border, and the price has moved more than once
UK ETA for London Visitors: What It Is, Who Needs It and When to Apply
There is a particular expression worn by a traveller at a check-in desk who has just learned of a form they should have filled in last week. I would like to spare you that expression. So before the museums and the Tube and the question of where to eat, a word about the thing you must do before you leave home.
What Has Changed
For decades, visitors from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and a long list of other countries simply turned up with a passport. That has ended. As one guide for first-time visitors puts it, since 25 February 2026 you need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation before you board your flight, and it is not available at the border. You do not need a visa for a tourist stay under six months, the same guide notes. The ETA is the only new paperwork.
It is not a visa. A travel site’s country summary describes it as a digital pre-travel authorisation, similar to the American ESTA or Canada’s eTA, applied for online or through the official UK ETA app.
What It Costs
Here I must be careful, because the guides I have read do not agree, and the reason is that the fee has risen. The most specific account I found says the ETA costs 20 pounds, having gone up from 16 pounds on 8 April 2026, and that it is valid for two years. Older articles still quote 10 pounds, which was the original price.
The lesson is simple. Do not trust a blog, including this one, for the fee. Check the official government website on the day you apply. It will show the current price.
How Long It Takes
The same summary says applications are typically processed within minutes, though the government recommends applying at least three working days before travel. Other guides suggest a week to be comfortable.
My advice is to do it the day you book your flights. It lasts two years, or until your passport expires if that is sooner, so there is nothing to lose by being early. The cost of being late is a missed flight.
How to Apply
There are two official routes: the UK ETA app on your phone, or the government website. You will need your passport, a photograph of your face and a payment card. The app reads the chip in your passport and takes the photo for you, and is generally the quicker option.
Each traveller needs their own, including children and babies.
Beware of Imitations
Search for “UK ETA” and you will find a number of websites that look official and are not. They charge a hefty “service fee” for filling in the same form you could complete yourself in ten minutes. Some are simply scams.
The real application is on the government’s own site, whose address ends in gov.uk, or in the official app. If a site is asking for much more than the published fee, close it.
Who Does Not Need One
British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA. Nor do people who already hold a UK visa or have permission to live, work or study in the country. If you need a visa to visit, you apply for that instead, and the ETA does not apply to you.
The list of nationalities covered has been extended in stages, so if you are unsure, the government website has a checker. One guide wisely suggests checking your own nationality on the official site before you book anything non-refundable.
Transit Passengers
If you are only changing planes in London, the rules depend on whether you pass through border control. Arrangements for airside transit have been adjusted since the scheme began. Check the official guidance for your specific route, particularly if you are connecting at Heathrow.
What It Does and Does Not Do
An ETA is permission to travel to the UK. It is linked electronically to your passport, so there is nothing to print, though keeping the confirmation email is sensible. Your airline will check it before you board.
It is not a guarantee of entry. A border officer can still ask questions on arrival. In practice, for an ordinary tourist with a return ticket and somewhere to stay, this takes a moment. Many nationalities can use the automatic passport gates.
If you renew your passport, you need a new ETA, because it is tied to the document number.
A Checklist
To put it all in one place:
Check on the government website whether your nationality needs an ETA.
Apply through the official app or site only.
Apply as soon as you book, and no later than a week before you fly.
One per traveller, children included.
Use the passport you will travel on.
Keep the confirmation email.
Why It Exists
Visitors sometimes ask why Britain has done this. The government’s answer is security and a digital border: it wants to know who is coming before they arrive. Many other countries do the same. The United States has required something similar for years, and the European Union is introducing its own scheme for visitors, including British ones.
Whatever one thinks of it, it is now part of travelling here. Ten minutes with your phone and it is done.
And Once You Have It
Then the pleasant part begins. London’s national museums are free, the transport system will cap what you pay each day, and the city is at its best in autumn, when the parks turn and the summer crowds thin.
But all of that is on the far side of a check-in desk, and the person behind it will want to see that the form has been done.
For the Flight
If you would like something to smile at while you wait at the gate, The London Prat has pages of British satirical news on border queues and London satirical news about Heathrow arrivals. Bohiney Magazine covers the American airport.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/
