United Kingdom ETA application form

The United Kingdom has recently introduced an ETA, an electronic travel authorisation which allows travellers to enter England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland without visa. You can apply for the UK ETA online. Since 2 April 2025, applying for an ETA is mandatory for most travellers from continental Europe.

Travellers from continental Europe need to show an ETA or a visa before they travel to the United Kingdom. Airlines, railway companies, cruise companies and ferry services check whether passengers have an ETA or a visa before they board their plane, train or boat. The ETA is also compulsory for transiting through the United Kingdom, except if the transit takes place at London Heathrow or Manchester airports.

You can apply online for your ETA UK. To complete the online application process, you have to fill in an online form, pay online and upload two documents per traveller. You can apply for your ETA on this website.

Apply for your ETA UK

The ETA UK is not mandatory for holders of a British or Irish passport.

Since 2 April 2025, continental European travellers must obtain an ETA or a visa to be able to enter the United Kingdom. You can easily apply for your ETA by using the form on this website. You do not need to install an app to be able to submit your application.

The UK ETA is valid for two years from the day it is granted. Within the two-years validity period you can travel to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland an unlimited number of times. Each time, you can stay up to six consecutive months in the United Kingdom. In some cases, the validity of your ETA can expire before.
If your passport expires before the validity period comes to an end, your ETA will also lose its validity at the same moment.

Important: The fact that your ETA has been approved does not guarantee that you will be allowed to enter the United Kingdom. On your arrival to the United Kingdom, you will have to go through screening, in order to verify that you comply with the ETA requirements. In principle, border control officials can refuse entry to travellers even if they are in possession of a valid passport and an ETA. However, this only happens in exceptional cases.

The UK ETA is only valid if:
• The application form has been filled in accordance with the truth.
• All the data are correct.
• The ETA must be used in combination with a valid passport. This passport must be the one that has been used to apply.
• The travel purpose must fall under one of the following categories: tourism, business trip, transit or short studies.
• The traveller has no intention to exceed the maximum permitted stay.
• The traveller cannot in any way represent a danger to the United Kingdom or its citizens.

The ETA UK can be obtained by all travellers who were previously allowed to travel to the UK without a visa. This applies to all travellers with the nationality of a country within the European Union or the EFTA (Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland). Travellers from these countries are eligible for the ETA if they fulfil the following requirements:

• the purpose of the travel is a holiday or a business trip (transiting in the UK or following a course is also allowed);
• the duration of the stay in the United Kingdom does not exceed 6 months (multiple trips are allowed within the validity period of 2 years);
• the traveller has a passport which is valid for the entire duration of their stay in the United Kingdom;
• the traveller uses the same passport for their trip as they used for their ETA-application;
• the traveller does not pose any risk for the United Kingdom and its inhabitants.

If you do not fulfil these requirements, you are not eligible for the ETA UK. If you still want to travel to the United Kingdom, you need to apply for a visa. Visa applications have to be submitted to the British immigration services. For more information, you can contact a Visa Application Centre. JBVisas.com cannot assist you with visa applications for the United Kingdom.

In the ETA UK application form you will be asked if the traveller has ever been criminally prosecuted. Unfortunately, if you must answer yes to any of the questions on the application referring to a criminal record, you will not be elligible to submit your application via JBVisas.com. You don't need to declare traffic offences nor non-punishable offences in the UK.

In addition to an ordinary passport, you can apply for the ETA UK with an emergency passport or a German Kinderreisepass. However, you cannot apply for the ETA with an identity card or a refugee residence document.

No, the ETA UK application takes place entirely online. You only need to fill in the application form and submit the required documents online. For further information on how to fill in the application form, please check the page about the ETA form.

You can apply for the ETA UK easily and without an app on this website. The application process comprises three steps:

1. Complete the application form: First, you must fill in the online application form. It will only take you a few minutes per traveller. In order to do this, you need the passport details of each traveller for whom you will apply for an ETA.

2. Pay the fee: After filling in the application form, you will have to pay the fees for the ETA. Payment can be made with several secure payment methods, such as credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express), PayPal, Google Pay or Apple Pay.

3. Upload the documents: upload two documents per traveller in order to complete the application. You will need to upload a digital ID photo and a scan or photo of each traveller's passport.

Once these steps have been completed, your application will be checked by the visa specialists at JBVisas.com. If necessary, you will be able to make corrections. If everything is correct, your application will be forwarded to the UK Immigration Department, the Government's department responsible for approving ETA applications. As soon as your application is approved, you will receive an email and an SMS. From that moment, you will be allowed to travel to England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

More info about the UK ETA

Yes, you can. However, you must have the traveler's authorisation, and after filling in the form you must read it to the traveller in question, who must then verbally confirm that all the information is correct. If you want to submit an application for a minor, a parent (or person with parental authority) must confirm that the data in the form are complete and correct.

You can submit an application for several people simultaneaously. To do so, click on the “Add a traveler” button at the bottom of the form. By making a group application you will save time, since you will only have to fill in the contact details of one of the travelers.

No, you don't need to book your flight ticket before applying for your ETA. On the application form, you only need to indicate an estimated date of arrival. You will be able to travel as soon as the ETA will be approved. You can apply for the ETA UK as soon as you know that you will be travelling to the country, since the UK ETA is valid for two years.

On this article about the ETA form you will find a detailed step-by-step explanation on how to fill it in. You need to have the passport details of all the travellers at hand. In the ‘expected date of arrival’ field, you just need to enter an estimated date. That is to say, it is possible to arrive in the UK on a different day than the date of issue. Once you have entered your details, you will need to submit a scan or photo of your passport, as well as a digital ID photo. It's not necessary to provide a professional ID photo. A selfie is enough, as loong as the traveller has a neutral expression and the photo is sharp with a clear, even background.

The standard ETA UK delivery time is 3 days. If you choose the urgent delivery option, the average delivery time is 60 minutes.

Nonetheless, the best is to submit your application as soon as possible. The delivery times mentioned are an average and they may be longer. Even if you opt for an urgent delivery, the delivery time cannot be guaranteed. If the UK Immigration department decides to carry out a random check, or if maintenance - planned or not - is being carried out on the computer system, the processing times might be longer. JBVisas.com has no influence over the speed with which the UK Immigration Service processes your application.

However, it is guaranteed that the above-mentioned average delivery times are generally met.

The difference between a normal application and an urgent application is that JBVisas.com processes urgent requests with priority. Always within 24 hours and in most cases within 10 minutes. In addition, urgent requests are processed during the night, at weekends and on public holidays. JBVisas.com makes sure that a number of common errors have not been made, and that the submitted documents meet the requirements established by the UK immigration authorities. If the data and photos do not contain any mistake, the application will immediately be sent to the UK immigration authorities for approval. As soon as your visa has been approved, you will receive an email and an SMS, and you will be able to travel at once.

If you have submitted a group application, you should be aware that the UK immigration services process all applications on an individual basis. As a consequence, it can happen that some applications in a group application are approved before others. This does not mean that the applications in question are more likely to be rejected.

The ETA for the United Kingdom costs € 49.95. If you submit a group application, the price per person will be the same. For urgent deliveries, there is a surcharge of € 17.50 per person. All prices are inclusive of consular fees charged by the UK immigration service, service charges of JBVisas.com, as well as the related taxes.

In addition, you have the possibility to add optional services such as the CO₂ compensation. The price of this optional service depends on your place of departure and destination. If you choose this additional service on the form, the exact cost will appear on the page. On this article you will find further information about how to compensate the CO₂ emmisions of your flight with JBVisas.com.

There are several payment methods available. You can pay for your ETA UK with PayPal, credit card, Google Pay or Apple Pay. Once you have made your payment, you will be able to download a receipt on your personal status page. When your application will be fully processed, you will be able to download an invoice on the same page.

Sometimes, it is not clear whether a passport number contains the digit 0 or the letter O. British passport numbers only contain digits. This means that the letter O can never appear on a British passport number.

If you submit your application for an UK ETA via this website, we will always check whether you have not swapped the number 0 for the letter O. If we find this type of mistake, we will correct it for you. This way, you will be able to travel without any problems.

If you have you submitted your ETA UK application at another website, this error will probably not be corrected, and your ETA may be invalid. Once approved, you cannot change your passport number. This means that you will have to apply again for a new ETA.

If you were not born in the country where your passport was issued, you may still have the nationality of your country of birth, and therefore a second nationality. Even if you have not lived for a long time in your country of birth and are not aware that you have a second nationality, you may still have it. This depends on the country in question. Some nationalities are automatically lost when you obtain the nationality of another country. Others are only lost if the holder renounces to them. Other nationalities are never lost.

It is important that you know if you have a second nationality before filling in the UK ETA form. If you don't anser this question correctly on the form, your ETA application may be rejected.

As soon as your UK ETA wil be approved, you will receive an email and a text message with a link to your personal status page. On this page you will be able to see whether your UK ETA has been approved, what the reference number is and the validity period. Each approved ETA has an unique number. There is no need to print or produce any documents. Once your ETA approved, it will automatically be linked to your passport number. You will be able to travel at once, as long as you travel with the same passport you used to make your application and all the data are correct.

After making your payment, you will receive an e-mail confirming that you have paid the fees. This email will also include a link to your personal status page, where you will be able to check the status of your application at any moment.

If, after the expected delivery time has come to an end you still have not received your ETA UK, you can contact the Support team at JBVisas.com. The delivery times given on this website are always averages. Unfortunately, it is not possible to guarantee a maximum turnaround time, since the UK immigration service can always carry out random checks, for instance. Another factor that may delay the approval of an application is the maintenance of the immigration service's computer systems. However, this does not mean that an application is more likely to be rejected.

The immigration services always deal with group applications on an individual basis. This means that there can be a time difference between the approval of the first and the last application from the same group. If you have not yet received any emails, please check your spam folder, also called junk mail. If you do not find an email with the subject ‘ETA UK application received', please click on this page to retrieve your application.

Once you have paid the ETA UK fees, your application will be processed. Once the application has been sent to the UK Immigration Department, no further changes can be made. Furthermore, the application cannot be cancelled any more, although in most cases this isn't necessary.

In these cases, your UK ETA remains valid, and you do not need to notify any changes:
• Your arrival date in the UK has changed.
• You have moved house, but still live in the same country.
• You had requested an ETA for a previous trip, and you wish now to use that ETA again.
• You had requested an ETA for a stopover in the UK, but now you want to stay overnight in the UK.
• Your travel purpose has changed. The ETA allows both leisure and business travel.

In these cases, unfortunately, your ETA UK is not valid, and you will have to submit a new application:
• You have entered your passport details incorrectly on the application form.
• You haven't declared your second nationality, or you haven't indicated your country of birth correctly.
• You will arrive in the UK more than 2 years after your ETA UK approval
• You are travelling with a different passport than the one used to make your application.
• You have moved to another country after the approval of your ETA.
• Your name or surname have changed
• The sex indicated in your passport is now different.
• If, after your ETA has been approved, you have to answer yes to any of the security questions, your ETA will no longer be valid. You will have to submit a new application, but unfortunately you will not be able to do this through JBVisas.com.

Has your ETA application been approved, but you are unable to check in for your flight or board a train or ship to the UK?
You have probably not entered your passport information correctly, either when applying for the ETA or when checking in. If any important information (date of birth, date of issue, expiration date, full name or passport number) has not been entered correctly, you will not be able to check in for your flight and your ETA will not be valid. It is also possible that, during the check-in process, you have entered a letter “O” instead of a “0” (zero) in the passport number. If this is the case, enter the number “0”.

Are you sure that you have correctly entered all the data?
If you are trying to check in for all the travelers in a group at the same time, you may not have entered the data regarding some of your travel fellows correctly. Sometimes, if the information of one of the travelers is incorrect, the other travelers in the group may not be able to check in.

No, unfortunately it is not possible to renew an ETA UK. What you can do is apply for a new ETA before the old one expires. Once the new application is approved, your ETA will be valid for another 2 years.

You can cancel an ETA UK application only up to the moment the UK immigration authorities start processing the application, i.e. approximately 10 minutes after the application has been submitted. After that time, unfortunately, it will no longer be possible to cancel the application.

Most travelers want their ETA as soon as possible. This is why applications are checked and forwarded to the UK Immigration Department as soon as possible. This means that there is no reflection period. This is clearly stated in our terms and conditions. Please be sure you agree with this before making your payment.

ETA applications for the United Kingdom are seldom rejected. This only happens in exceptional cases. Unfortunately, the British immigration services never disclose the reason for rejection. If your ETA application has been rejected, it could be due to one of the following reasons:
• You have not filled in the application form correctly
• The ID photo you have submitted does not meet the immigration services requirements
• The passport scan or photograph that you have submitted does not meet the immigration services requirements
• You have not answered one or more of the security questions according to the truth

What can I do if my application has been rejected?
If your application has been rejected, check that all the information entered on the application form is correct, especially your passport details. If you made a mistake when filling out the form, or you believe that the ID photo or passport scan you submitted does not meet all the requirements, submit a new ETA application with the correct information and documents.

If all the information and documents you have submitted are correct, there is no point in applying for a new UK ETA. Your application will probably be rejected again. Most likely you don't meet the ETA requirements. These are the main possible causes:
• The ETA does not allow you to travel to your destination
• You have been convicted of a criminal offence in the past
• You have broken an immigration law in the past
• The British authorities suspect that you pose a risk to the security of the United Kingdom

Apply for a visa for the United Kingdom
If your application has been rejected for any of the above reasons, you will not be able to use the UK ETA. If you still wish to travel to the United Kingdom, you will need to apply for a visa instead of an ETA. At JBVisas.com we cannot assist you with your visa application. For this, you will need to contact the British Embassy.

Minors must always travel with a valid passport and their own UK ETA. All information on this FAQ page applies to children and infants, as well. The UK ETA can be applied for with a German “Kinderreisepass”.

Can a child travel without their parents or legal guardians?
In this case, the child must carry a completed consent form with him/her throughout the trip and be able to show it at any time. For further information about this go to this site. The form must be signed by both parents or legal guardians. In some cases, the child must also bring a copy of the passport of one of his or her legal guardians. Sometimes it is necessary to bring an international birth certificate or an extract from the Basic Register of Persons.

No. The UK immigration office has the right to refuse travelers at their arrival in the UK. If the immigration service considers that you pose a risk to the security of the United Kingdom or its citizens, you may be refused entry.

When you apply for the ETA, a first assessment of your application is made. A second (personal) review takes place on arrival in the UK.
Your ETA will only be valid if all the information provided is correct and matches the information in your passport. Upon arrival, you must also be able to answer “no” to security questions.

Siempre es conveniente informase sobre si necesita vacunarse para su destino de viaje. Su médico podrá decirle si su destino de viaje requiere vacunas obligatorias o recomendadas. La información de este sitio web no ha sido escrita por un médico.

To bring medicines into the United Kingdom, you must check whether the medicine or active ingredient is covered by the Opium Act. In this website you will find all the information you need to travel with your medications.

On the application form, you can select the CO₂ offset option. This allows you to offset the CO₂ emissions from your flights to and from the UK. The amount you pay for CO₂ offsetting is calculated on the basis of a direct flight from your place of departure to the UK. Your contribution will be fully invested in VCS-certified climate projects. VCS is one of the most reliable standards for certifying climate projects.JBVisas.com does not perceive any money for this. On this page you can find further information about the CO₂ compensation.

This website processes a large amount of personal data, such as passport numbers, ID card numbers and identity photos. Obviously, it is to be expected that such data will be handled confidentially.

JBVisas.com ensures that your data is protected in accordance with the applicable EU privacy regulations (AVG / GDPR). To this end, both technical and organizational precautions have been taken. Your data will only be processed via secure connections and stored in encrypted form. Your data will be deleted immediately as soon as its storage is no longer required. The privacy policy of JBVisas.com has been configured and tested in collaboration with Taylor Wessing, an internationally renowned law firm.

Your personal data will only be processed for the execution of your order. In this case, the request for an ETA for the United Kingdom. However, the processing of personal data always involves risks. In order to apply for an ETA for the UK it is necessary to share personal data with (different) government agencies. The UK immigration authorities ultimately decide whether your application is approved. JBVisas.com cannot influence these government agencies and what they do with their data. In the privacy policy you will find further information about this.