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Home › Visas and permits › UK ETA step by step: £20, two years, the official app and the transit question that confuses everyone
Step by step

UK ETA step by step: £20, two years, the official app and the transit question that confuses everyone

The ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is the electronic permit the United Kingdom requires BEFORE you board. It is not a visa: it is an authorisation digitally linked to your passport that allows you to present yourself at the border. Official text from GOV.UK: «An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) lets you travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months». It covers all four destinations: the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. And what it is NOT, on the same page and in bold: «An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man». It is not printed, it is not stuck into your passport and there is nothing to show: «Your ETA is linked to your passport digitally. You do not need anything else to show you have an ETA».

⚠️ Sensitive information — always check the official source
Visa requirements, quotas, amounts and dates change often. Every fact in this guide was checked against the official source on 2026-09-23 and we re-check it periodically, but before starting any procedure confirm the details on the official links (embassy, consulate or ministry) shown on this page. viajacongus.com does not process visas and does not replace official information.
💵 How much it costs
£20 PER PERSON, verified on 23/09/2026. Word for word from GOV.UK: «An ETA costs £20» and, on the application page, «It costs £20 to apply online or through the UK ETA app. You cannot get a refund after you apply». There is no discount for children, families or groups: babies pay the full £20. There is no paid express service: «You cannot get a faster decision by applying through another website or app». If you apply through the app, the price is shown converted: «It will show you the price in the local currency for your country. You can change which currency you pay in». Accepted payment methods: Apple Pay, Google Pay, American Express, JCB, Mastercard and Visa. And the official page's own warning about what others charge: «Other websites may charge more to apply. Avoid websites that imitate government services».
⏳ How long it takes
«You'll usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days». Normally less than a day, with a published ceiling of 3 working days. If the 3 days have passed and nothing has arrived, GOV.UK sends you first to your spam folder and then to the official contact: «If you have not received a decision after 3 working days, check your spam or junk email folder before contacting UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)». If you applied for several people, the decisions may come at different times: «You may get decisions at different times to other people you applied for».
📅 How long it's valid
These are three different numbers and people mix them up all the time. (1) HOW LONG THE AUTHORISATION LASTS: «An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner». Two years, or less if your passport expires first. (2) NUMBER OF TRIPS: unlimited. «You can travel to the UK as many times as you want while you have an ETA». (3) DAYS OF STAY PER TRIP: up to 6 months, and the ETA does not change that limit. In other words: a 2-year ETA with unlimited entries, each visit of up to 6 months. There is one case with fewer days: «come to the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession». And the fine print that decides everything: the ETA is tied to the passport you applied with, so if you renew your passport, the ETA dies with the old one, even if it has months left.

👤 Who needs it?

The list that counts is the Home Office's Immigration Rules Appendix ETA National List, last updated on 3 August 2026. We read it in full on 23/09/2026 and it is organised by the date each entry took effect, not by continent. From 15/11/2023: Qatar. From 22/02/2024: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. From 08/01/2025: Antigua and Barbuda, ARGENTINA, Australia, Barbados, BELIZE, BRAZIL, Brunei, Canada, CHILE, COSTA RICA, Grenada, GUATEMALA, GUYANA, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, MEXICO, Micronesia, New Zealand, Palau, PANAMA, Papua New Guinea, PARAGUAY, PERU, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, the Bahamas, Tonga, Tuvalu, the UNITED STATES and URUGUAY. For Taiwan there is a condition: «Those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan». From 02/04/2025: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, DENMARK, Estonia, Finland, France, GERMANY, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, ITALY, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, SPAIN, Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican City. NOW WHAT IS NOT THERE, which matters just as much: of our twenty-eight nationalities, COLOMBIA, BOLIVIA, ECUADOR, CUBA, VENEZUELA, the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NICARAGUA, HONDURAS, EL SALVADOR and SURINAME do NOT appear in the Appendix. Their citizens cannot get an ETA: they need a Standard Visitor visa, which is a different process, more expensive and with more paperwork. And every person needs their own: «Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children».

🧭 The step by step

1
Step 0: check whether you need an ETA, a visa, or nothing at all
Open the Immigration Rules Appendix ETA National List and look for your nationality. If it is there, you need an ETA. If it is not, you almost certainly need a Standard Visitor visa. The list is ordered by the date each entry took effect: it started on 15/11/2023 with Qatar, on 22/02/2024 the five Gulf countries were added, on 08/01/2025 the block from the Americas, Asia-Pacific and the Caribbean, and on 02/04/2025 the whole of Europe. If you want the answer spelled out for your specific case, the Home Office has an official questionnaire that cross-checks nationality and reason for travel.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If you are Colombian, Bolivian, Ecuadorian, Cuban, Venezuelan, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Honduran, Salvadoran or Surinamese, stop looking for the ETA: your nationality is NOT in the Appendix and there is no ETA for you. What you need is a Standard Visitor visa. Every hour you spend looking into the wrong process is an hour less for the one you actually need, which takes much longer.
2
Check the list of people who do NOT need anything: it is longer than it looks
GOV.UK lists all the cases: «you're a British or Irish citizen», «you have a UK visa», «you have permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status or right of abode)», «you have permission to live, work or study in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man», «you're transiting through a UK airport without passing through border control (airside)», «you're travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport», «you're travelling with a British National (Overseas) passport», «you live in Ireland and you're travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man», «you're a child travelling on the France-UK school trip travel information form», «you're exempt from immigration control or do not need to get permission to enter» and «you're waiting for a decision on your EU Settlement Scheme application».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Two of those cases are often overlooked. One: if you have an EU Settlement Scheme application pending a decision, you do not need an ETA. Two: children travelling on the «France-UK school trip travel information form» do not need one either, and that saves entire school trips from paying £20 a head.
3
If you hold dual British or Irish citizenship: do not apply for the ETA, you will not get one
Word for word: «If you're a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you cannot get an ETA». To enter, you show your citizenship with «a valid British passport», «another valid passport with a certificate of entitlement that proves you have the right of abode in the UK» or «a valid Irish passport». And watch out for a possibility many people do not know about: «You may have British citizenship automatically if you either: were born in the UK, have a parent with British citizenship».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If you suspect you may have automatic British citizenship by birth or through a British parent, check it BEFORE paying: an ETA obtained by someone who is a British citizen is useless and is not refunded. For questions there is an official webchat: «You can use webchat to ask about travelling to the UK as a dual citizen».
4
If you live in Ireland: you do not need an ETA, but you do need to carry a specific document
The rule has two conditions that go together: «You do not need an ETA if you're both: from a country that would normally need an ETA to travel to the UK, entering the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man». And you have to prove you live in Ireland. If you are 16 or older, you must carry ONE of these: an Irish driving licence, an Irish learner permit, a medical card, a GP visit card, a European Health Insurance Card, an Irish Residence Permit, a Permanent Residence Certificate, a National Age Card or a diplomatic identity card. The document has to be «an original», «issued by the Irish government» and «valid at the time you travel». Children under 16 do not need to carry proof.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The exemption is based on the ROUTE, not on living in Ireland. If you live in Dublin but fly directly from Madrid to London, the exemption does not apply and you need an ETA. And it has to be the original document: a photo on your phone does not count.
5
Transit: the question most people get wrong
GOV.UK defines the two types by name: «'airside' - you do not pass through UK border control before you leave on your connecting journey» and «'landside' - you do pass through UK border control, but come back through it and leave the UK within a short amount of time (usually 24 hours)». The consequence is direct: «You need an ETA if you're passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing your onward journey». If it is airside, you do not need an ETA. If it is landside, you do. The page itself tells you who to ask: «You can check with your airline if you are not sure».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Do not assume that a connection at Heathrow or Gatwick is airside. It depends on the terminal, on whether you change terminals and on whether your luggage is checked through to the final destination. Ask the airline, get the answer in writing and keep it. And do the maths: £20 for an ETA you may not need is far cheaper than being left on the ground.
6
Before paying, look at what the ETA lets you do and what it does not
What you CAN do: «come to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, on a business trip or for short-term study», «come to the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession», «come to the UK for a permitted paid engagement» and «transit through a UK airport if you'll pass through border control». What you CANNOT do: «stay in the UK for longer than 6 months», «do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you're doing a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession», «claim public funds (benefits)», «live in the UK through frequent or successive visits» and «marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Two prohibitions with teeth. One: the ban on work includes UNPAID work («paid or unpaid work»), so volunteering for a British company falls under it. Two: «live in the UK through frequent or successive visits» means that stringing together six-month visits to live there is expressly prohibited and they can cut it short at the border. If you are going to get married or give notice of marriage, the ETA will not do: you need the Marriage Visitor visa.
7
If you have a criminal record or were refused entry before, think twice about which route to take
GOV.UK directly suggests another route: «If you have a criminal record or you were previously refused entry into the UK, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead». And the app will ask you about it in detail: «You need to answer questions about any criminal convictions. Describe these in as much detail as you can, including: the type of offence (for example, theft, assault or fraud), the date of conviction, the sentence you received (for example, a fine, community service or prison sentence)».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Declare it. This is not a box you can leave blank to see what happens: an ETA obtained with a false declaration falls apart at the border, and there is no appeal there, just a flight home. If your case is complex, the Standard Visitor visa lets you explain it with documents; the ETA does not.
8
Choose your channel: the UK ETA app or the website. They cost the same
Both routes cost £20. Through the app: «You'll need to use your phone's camera to scan your passport and your face». Through the website: «You'll need: a photo of the passport, a photo of the face of the person applying». The official recommendation is the app, and the website is plan B: «If you cannot download the app on your phone, you should apply online». The app is downloaded from Google Play or the App Store, always going through the links on the official page. It is only in English: «This app is only available in English».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The difference that matters comes up when you apply for someone else: «You can apply for someone else's ETA on the UK ETA app if they're with you. If the person you're applying for is not with you, you must apply for their ETA online». If you are doing the application for a relative who is not next to you, do not even try the app: use the website.
9
Check that your phone will work before downloading the app
The requirements are published. iPhone: «an iPhone 7, 7 Plus or newer», «iOS 16 or later», «at least 179MB of storage space to install the app» and a 3G, 4G, 5G or WiFi connection. Android: «Android 12 or later», «at least 165MB of storage space», a connection, and, this is the key one, «NFC (Near-Field Communication) so the app can scan your passport». The guide itself gives you the trick to find out: «If you can use your phone to pay for things using contactless, this means it has NFC and you can use the app». The app also needs access to the camera: «If the app does not request access, enable it in your settings».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Without NFC there is no chip scan and the app is no use to you. Before wasting half an hour, test whether your phone pays contactless: if it does not, go straight to the website.
10
Gather the three things they will ask for (and make sure it is the real passport)
Word for word: «You'll need: the passport you'll travel with, an email address, a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay». The app guide is even more specific about the passport: «the passport you will travel with – not a photocopy or digital passport». If you are under 18: «If you are under 18, you need to give contact details for someone who has parental responsibility for you». And the form asks about your «address», «job» and «other nationalities, if you have any».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The passport has to be the PHYSICAL one and the SAME one you will travel with. Not a photocopy, not a PDF, not the digital version in your phone's wallet. And if you have two passports and have not yet decided which one you will travel with, decide before applying: the ETA stays attached to the number you enter.
11
Scan the passport and then check by hand what the system read
The chip is read by resting the phone on the passport: «Remove any cases or covers from your passport and phone. Place the phone on top of your passport. Aim the top of your phone with the middle of your passport. If the volume on your phone is turned up, you will hear a beep when your passport has been recognised. If the app does not recognise your passport, move your phone around the passport». For United States passports there is a specific instruction: «If scanning the front of the passport does not work, place the phone on the inside of the back cover». If the chip cannot be read, the app settles for the photo: «The app will take your passport details from the photo of your passport».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: That is exactly where the trap is, and GOV.UK spells it out: «Check these details carefully. If they do not match what it says on your passport, your application will be delayed or rejected». Optical recognition confuses zeros with the letter O and ones with the letter I. Read the passport number digit by digit against the booklet before moving on, because a mistake cannot be corrected: «If your application is rejected or you need to change the details in your application, you'll need to apply again», and that is another £20.
12
The face scan: it is not the photo, it is something else
They are two separate steps, in that order. First the face scan, which is a liveness check: «The app will use your camera to scan your face. This is to confirm you are a real person. Hold your phone's camera in front of your face until the scanning is complete». And it has an age threshold: «If you are applying for someone aged 10 or older, you need to scan their face. You will not be asked to scan the face of a child aged 9 or younger». Then, separately, comes the photo.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If you are applying for a child aged 10 or older, they have to be present for the face scan. For a child aged 9 or younger, they do not. Organise the family application with that in mind: you will not be able to do your 12-year-old's ETA while they are at school.
13
The face photo: the number one cause of delays, with published specifications
GOV.UK warns: «If the photo of the face of the person applying does not meet the rules, the application may be delayed or rejected». The official rules (UKVI guidance, published 12 February 2026) are specific. Format: «at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall», «at least 50KB and no more than 6MB», «a jpg or jpeg file», «vertically orientated», and «Your photo must not be mirrored or flipped». Quality: «clear and in focus», «in colour», «taken in a well-lit room», and «Your photo must not be altered by computer software or through other means (for example, by adding a filter)». Content: «contain no other objects or people», «be taken against a plain light-coloured background», «be in clear contrast to the background», «not have “red eye”», «show your head, shoulders and upper body». Prohibitions: «be a scan or photo of another photo of you», «be the same photo of you that is in your passport or identity card», «be of your identity document, it must be of you». And about your face: facing forward, looking at the camera, neutral expression and mouth closed, eyes open and visible, no hair in front of the eyes, no shadows on the face or behind it, no hat except for religious or medical reasons, with shoulders and torso clothed.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Three details that get perfectly nice photos bounced. One: it CANNOT be the same photo that is in your passport. Two: it cannot be a photo of a photo or a scan. Three: glasses, word for word: «Do not wear glasses in your photo unless you have to. If you have to wear glasses they cannot be sunglasses or tinted glasses, and your eyes cannot be covered by the frames or glare, reflection or shadow». And the official advice that saves money: «You should try to arrange for another person to take your photo. This will help reduce the chance of having your photo rejected».
14
Children and babies: each needs their own, with their own photo rules
«Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children». There is no family ETA and no discount. For the photo there are specific rules by age: «Children must be on their own in the picture. Babies must not be holding toys or using dummies», «Children under 6 do not have to be looking directly at the camera or have a plain expression», «Children under one do not have to have their eyes open. You can support their head with your hand, but your hand must not be visible in the photo», and «Children under one should lie on a plain light-coloured sheet. Take the photo from above».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The dummy and the toy are grounds for rejection, literally: «Babies must not be holding toys or using dummies». And for children under one, the hand supporting the head must not be visible. The official recipe is a light-coloured sheet, baby lying down, photo taken from above.
15
Pay the £20 and do not look for shortcuts, because there are none
You pay inside the app or on the website. Methods: Apple Pay, Google Pay, American Express, JCB, Mastercard, Visa. «It will show you the price in the local currency for your country. You can change which currency you pay in». Your bank may ask for verification: «Your bank may need you to: enter a security code, open your bank app to confirm it is you making the payment».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Two official sentences to read before you tap. «You cannot get a refund after you apply»: no refund, not for a rejection and not for a change of plans. And «You cannot get a faster decision by applying through another website or app»: there is no such thing as an urgent ETA, so anyone offering you one is selling you expensive hot air.
16
Wait for the email with the 16-digit number. Don't leave for the airport before it arrives
«The email will contain your 16 digit ETA reference number». And the rule, with no wiggle room: «You must wait until you get an email confirming you have an ETA before you travel to the UK». If it hasn't arrived in 3 working days, check spam first, then the official UKVI channel. There is nothing to print: «Your ETA will be linked to the passport you applied with. You only need to show your passport when you travel to the UK».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If you applied for several people, don't assume they all came through: «You may get decisions at different times to other people you applied for». Count the approval emails one by one against the number of passengers before heading to the airport.
17
Save the number and learn how to check your ETA online
There is an official service to check two things: «if you have an ETA» and «when your ETA expires». You need «the passport you used when you applied for your ETA». It has one limit: «You cannot use this service if you recently applied for an ETA and have not received one yet. Contact UKVI if you have not had a decision after 3 working days».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Use it before EVERY trip, not just once. The 2 years count from approval but stop the day your passport expires: if your passport expires in 8 months, your ETA lasts 8 months, not 24.
18
If you change passports, the ETA doesn't move with you: you have to get another one
Straight from the checking service: «An ETA lasts for 2 years and is linked to your passport. If your passport has expired or changed, you'll need to apply for a new ETA». There is no transfer, update or carry-over procedure: you get a new one and pay £20 again.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The classic case: you renew your passport because it only had a few months left, you travel with the new one and the ETA stayed tied to the old one. If you already have a ticket and a new passport, get the new ETA in good time: it still takes up to 3 working days.
19
At the desk: the ETA is permission to turn up, not permission to enter
It is written twice on the official page: «An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man» and «An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK». At the airport you don't show the ETA, because it doesn't exist on paper: you show your passport, and the ETA is linked digitally. The border officer can ask you the usual: reason for the trip, how long you're staying, where you're staying and with what money.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Since the authorisation is invisible, you have nothing to show if something goes wrong in the system. Keep the approval email with the 16-digit number on your phone and also printed: it isn't a requirement, but it's the only thing you have if the officer tells you it doesn't come up.
20
If you need help: there is only one channel and it isn't the phone
GOV.UK says it plainly: «You can use webchat to ask about an ETA» and «UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) cannot help with ETA enquiries over the phone». The contact form for ETA enquiries from outside the UK is on the official UKVI site.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If you find a «UK ETA call centre» that answers the phone, it isn't official: UKVI does not handle ETA enquiries by phone. Use the GOV.UK webchat and nothing else.
Go to the official site →
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), Home Office — Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK

📋 What you need at hand

⚠️ The mistakes that cost you

🔎 Where this comes from

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Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park 12