How do US citizens apply for a UK ETA?

Who needs a UK ETA

An ETA is not a visa. It is a pre-travel permission linked to your passport for visits of up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, short business trips and some other permitted activities. It covers the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

• US, Canadian and Australian passport holders need one, and Europeans need one too since 2 April 2025.

• Children and babies each need their own ETA. A parent can apply for them.

• Exempt: British and Irish citizens, and people who already have UK permission to live, work or study there (for example a visa or settled status).

• Dual US-British citizens should travel on the British passport and don't need an ETA.

An ETA does not guarantee entry: the Border Force officer still decides on arrival. If you plan to work, study for more than 6 months or stay longer, you need a visa instead.

The fee: £16 or £20?

The ETA started at £10 (≈ $13.3), rose to £16 (≈ $21) in April 2025 and rose again to £20 (≈ $27) from 8 April 2026 as part of the Home Office's annual fee changes. GOV.UK now lists £20 (≈ $27), and the charge is based on when you apply, not when you travel. An ETA bought at £16 (≈ $21) before the change stays valid until it expires.

A family of four pays £80 (≈ $107) in total. The fee is non-refundable if you are refused.

GOV.UK itself warns that other websites may charge more and to avoid sites that imitate government services. Agency sites often show up first in search ads and charge several times the official fee for the same application. The only official routes are the UK ETA app and the application linked from gov.uk/eta. Type the address yourself rather than clicking an ad.

How to apply in the UK ETA app, step by step

The app is the quicker route because it reads your passport chip, which avoids typing errors. The web form on GOV.UK works if your phone can't.

• Scan your passport. Photograph the photo page, then hold the phone to the passport so it reads the chip.

• Take a photo of your face in the app. Use plain light, no glasses glare, no hat.

• Contact details. Email address and phone number. The decision comes by email.

• Home address and occupation.

• Suitability questions on criminal convictions and past immigration problems. Answer honestly: a refusal for a false answer is worse than a disclosed old conviction.

• Pay £20 (≈ $27) by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

You don't enter flight dates or a UK address, so you can apply before booking. You can apply for other people, such as your children, from one phone, one application each.

GOV.UK says to allow 3 working days for a decision. Many come within minutes or hours, but some go to manual review. Apply when you book flights, not the night before.

Validity, renewals and new passports

An approved ETA lasts 2 years or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever comes first, and covers multiple trips. Each stay can be up to 6 months.

The ETA is linked to one passport. If you renew or replace your passport, you need a new ETA, even if the old one has time left. This catches people who renew shortly before a trip.

You don't print anything. Check your status and expiry date through the GOV.UK lookup before each trip.

Transit through Heathrow or Manchester

If your flight lands in the UK and you pass through UK border control to connect, you need an ETA.

Since 16 January 2025 there has been a temporary exemption for passengers who stay airside while changing planes at Heathrow and Manchester, the only two UK airports with airside transit facilities. That means flying, say, Chicago to Heathrow to Rome on one booking with checked bags through, without leaving the transit area. The government described the exemption as temporary and under review, so check with your airline close to departure.

Transit at any other UK airport, a self-connected itinerary where you collect bags, or an overnight in London between flights all mean passing border control, and you need an ETA. A day in London on a layover counts too: see how many days in London if you are deciding whether to stay longer.

Arriving from Ireland, Europe and by Eurostar

The ETA applies however you arrive: flights, ferries from France and the Netherlands, and Eurostar from Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Eurostar checks ETA status before boarding.

Travelling from Ireland to the UK within the Common Travel Area still requires an ETA for US citizens, even though there is no routine passport check on that route. Missing it is still a breach of the rules.

Once you are through, our Oyster vs contactless guide covers getting around London on a US card, and where to stay in London compares neighbourhoods.

Common mistakes and refusals

• Using an agency site. You pay more for the same form, and some delay submission.

• Applying on a passport you are about to renew. The ETA dies with that passport.

• Assuming kids are covered by a parent's ETA. Each traveller needs one.

• Leaving it to the airport. Without an approval the airline won't board you.

• Mismatched name. The app reads the chip, so rely on the scan rather than typing.

If you are refused, the email says so, and there is no appeal. You can apply for a UK visitor visa instead, which costs more and takes weeks. A refusal is uncommon for US tourists with no criminal or immigration history.

Frequently asked questions