Visa & entryBy Clever Tourists · Published · Last updated
No visa, but yes to an ETA: US citizens need a £20 (≈ $27) UK Electronic Travel Authorisation before they fly, and since 25 February 2026 airlines refuse boarding without one. The ETA is applied for in the official UK ETA app or on gov.uk, is usually decided within a day (allow up to 3 working days), and lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, for unlimited visits of up to 6 months each. The same rule covers EU, Australian, Canadian and other visa-free visitors. British and Irish passport holders are exempt. Here is how to apply, what it costs, and when transit passengers can skip it.
You don't need a visa for a UK tourist trip, but you do need an ETA: a digital permission linked to your passport. Gov.uk says nationals of Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada and certain other countries usually need one, about 85 nationalities in all. Every traveler needs their own, including babies and children.
One ETA covers the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, for stays of up to 6 months at a time, with unlimited trips for 2 years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. An ETA does not guarantee entry; a Border Force officer still decides at the border.
The ETA costs £20 (≈ $27) to apply online or through the UK ETA app, and the fee is not refunded if you are refused. It started at £10 (≈ $13.4), rose to £16 (≈ $21) in April 2025 and to £20 (≈ $27) on 8 April 2026. What you pay depends on the date you applied, not the date you travel, so an ETA bought at £16 (≈ $21) before 8 April 2026 stays valid.
Third-party sites that charge more than £20 (≈ $27) are agents submitting the same application. Gov.uk warns against websites that imitate government services; only gov.uk and the official UK ETA app are the real thing.
• Step 1: Download the official UK ETA app (App Store or Google Play). If you can't use the app, apply online at gov.uk/eta/apply.
• Step 2: Scan your passport with the phone camera. In the app you then take a photo of your face; online, you upload a photo of the passport and a digital face photo instead.
• Step 3: Answer the screening questions (criminal record, past immigration problems) and give an email address.
• Step 4: Pay the £20 (≈ $27) by card.
• Step 5: Wait for the email decision. It usually arrives within a day but can take up to 3 working days, so apply as soon as you book. The ETA is linked to your passport digitally; there is nothing to print.
You can apply for someone else, for example your children, in the app if they are with you, or online using photos of their passport and face. If an ETA is refused there is no appeal, but you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead.
The ETA existed before 2026, but enforcement was soft and some visitors still boarded without one. From 25 February 2026 the Home Office moved to full enforcement: carriers must check that every visa-free passenger holds an ETA (or an eVisa) and deny boarding if not. Advice from friends who flew to London without one in 2025 is out of date.
• British and Irish passport holders, including dual nationals using that passport.
• Airside transit: if you change planes at Heathrow or Manchester without passing through UK border control, you currently don't need an ETA. The exemption has applied since January 2025 and the Home Office calls it temporary, so check gov.uk shortly before you fly.
• Landside transit: if your connection means collecting bags or passing through border control, for example switching to another London airport, you need an ETA.
Apply for the ETA as soon as you've booked your flights, check your passport number is correct before paying, and travel on the same passport you applied with. Carry standard travel insurance as for any international trip, and recheck gov.uk/eta before you apply, since the fee has moved three times since launch.
Not for tourism or short visits of up to 6 months. They need a £20 (≈ $27) Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) instead, which airlines check before boarding since 25 February 2026.
£20 (≈ $27) since 8 April 2026, paid in the UK ETA app or on gov.uk. It was £16 (≈ $21) before that. Other sites charge more for the same application.
Gov.uk says you will usually get a decision within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days.
2 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, with unlimited visits of up to 6 months each.
No. British and Irish passport holders are exempt.
Not if you stay airside at Heathrow or Manchester and don't pass through UK border control. That exemption is temporary. If you go through border control, you need an ETA.
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Entry rules change, and they depend on your nationality — always confirm the current requirements on the official government site before you book or apply. Only use official government (.gov) portals; ignore look-alike agency sites.
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