James Wolfe
US citizens now need a UK ETA before traveling to Britain. The electronic travel authorisation costs 20 pounds, takes a few minutes to apply for through the official GOV.UK website or the official UK ETA app, and lasts for 2 years or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever comes first. It allows visits of up to 6 months at a time for tourism, visiting family or friends, business or short-term study. It is not a visa, and it does not guarantee entry, but for most US travelers it is now a required step before boarding a flight to London or anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
The short version is simple. If the traveler holds a US passport and is visiting the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for a short stay, an ETA is needed unless one of the exemptions applies. Each traveler needs their own ETA, including babies and children, and a parent can apply for other people. The application asks for a passport, an email address and a payment method, plus photos of the passport and the applicant’s face. Most decisions arrive within a day. Travelers should wait for the confirmation email before traveling, and should apply only through GOV.UK or the official app, because other websites charge more and cannot speed up a decision.
Quick Facts
What it is: An electronic travel authorisation that gives permission to travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months at a time.
Who needs one: US citizens and other visa-free nationals visiting for tourism, family visits, business or short-term study, including babies and children. British and Irish citizens and people with UK residence permission do not need one.
Cost: 20 pounds per person, with no refunds. Other websites may charge more, so apply only through GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app.
How long it lasts: 2 years, or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever comes first. It allows multiple trips within that period.
How to apply: Online at GOV.UK or through the UK ETA app, using a passport, an email address and a credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Decision time: Usually within a day, and up to 3 working days. Travelers must wait for the confirmation email before traveling.
What the UK ETA Is
The UK ETA is an electronic travel authorisation, a digital permission to travel that is linked to a passport rather than printed on paper. The GOV.UK overview explains that an ETA lets the holder travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months, for tourism, visiting family or friends, business or certain other reasons. It costs 20 pounds. The system is the UK’s version of the pre-travel checks that other countries now use, and it applies to travelers who do not need a visa for a short visit, including US citizens.
An ETA is permission to travel, not permission to enter. GOV.UK states plainly that an ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. On arrival, travelers still meet a border officer, and the officer can ask questions and refuse entry. The ETA also has to be linked to the passport used for the trip. Travelers must show the same passport that was used for the ETA application, because the authorisation is tied to that document. A new passport means a new ETA.
The ETA system is separate from the European Union’s systems. It covers the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, while the EU’s Entry/Exit System covers the 29 European countries that use it. A US traveler visiting both London and Paris needs to understand both systems, since the UK ETA is for Britain and the EU system is for the continent. The two are not interchangeable, and neither one covers the other.
Who Needs One
GOV.UK states that most visitors need an ETA or a visa, and that what is needed depends on nationality and the reason for the trip. The guidance says travelers usually need an ETA rather than a visa if they are from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries. For US citizens on a normal short visit, the ETA is the document to get. Travelers who are unsure can use the GOV.UK checker linked from the ETA pages to confirm what applies to their nationality and trip.
Every traveler needs their own ETA, including babies and children. There are no family ETAs and no group applications that cover several people on one authorisation. One person can apply for other people, which is useful for families, but each person still gets their own ETA linked to their own passport. Parents traveling with children should apply for each child as well as for themselves, and should allow the same decision time for every application in the family.
There are also travelers who do not need an ETA. British and Irish citizens do not need one, and neither do people who have permission to live, work or study in the UK, including those who hold a visa. Travelers who hold a transit visa do not need an ETA either. The GOV.UK page on when an ETA is not needed lists these exemptions in full. Transit is a point to check carefully. Travelers need an ETA if they are passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing an onward journey, which is known as landside transit. GOV.UK suggests checking with the airline when in doubt about a connection.
What It Costs and How Long It Lasts
An ETA costs 20 pounds, and there are no refunds. The fee is paid during the online application, by credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more to apply, and that travelers should avoid websites that imitate government services. The official price is 20 pounds, and any site charging more is adding its own fee on top. No third-party site can offer a faster decision, and paying more does not improve the outcome.
An ETA lasts for 2 years, or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever comes first. Within that period, the holder can make multiple trips to the UK, each of up to 6 months. The 2-year validity makes the ETA useful for travelers who visit Britain more than once, since a single application covers repeat trips as long as the passport is still valid. If the passport is renewed, the ETA does not carry over, and a new application is needed.
The 6-month limit applies to each visit, not to the life of the ETA. GOV.UK also makes clear that an ETA cannot be used to live in the UK through frequent or successive visits. Travelers who want to stay longer than 6 months, or who want to live or work in the UK, need a visa instead. The ETA is for short visits only, and the border officer on arrival can ask about the purpose and length of the stay.
How to Apply Step by Step
Applying for an ETA is designed to take minutes, and the whole process happens online or in the official app. The steps below follow the GOV.UK application guidance.
- Go to the official channel. Apply online at GOV.UK or download the official UK ETA app. Do not use a third-party site that offers to apply on your behalf.
- Have a passport ready. The application needs the passport the traveler will use for the trip. The ETA is linked to that passport.
- Have an email address and a payment method. The application needs access to email, and payment by credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Upload or take photos. The application asks for photos of the passport and of the applicant’s face. The app guides the applicant through taking these.
- Answer the questions. Applicants answer questions about themselves. There is no need to enter travel details.
- Pay 20 pounds. The fee is paid at the end of the application, and there are no refunds.
- Wait for the email. Most decisions arrive within a day, and GOV.UK says a decision can take up to 3 working days. Do not travel before the confirmation email arrives.
After applying, the applicant gets a 16-digit reference number, which is useful if the application needs to be checked. GOV.UK also offers an online service to check whether an ETA is held and when it expires. Travelers should keep the confirmation email, and should check that the ETA is linked to the passport they will travel on. If the application is refused, or if the traveler has a criminal record or has previously been refused entry, GOV.UK advises applying for a Standard Visitor visa instead.
What You Can and Cannot Do With an ETA
An ETA covers a defined set of activities, and the limits matter as much as the permissions. The GOV.UK page on what an ETA allows sets out both sides. With an ETA, a traveler can come to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family or friends, business or short-term study. An ETA also covers coming for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession, doing a permitted paid engagement, and transiting through a UK airport when passing through border control.
What an ETA does not allow is equally clear. Holders cannot stay for longer than 6 months on a visit. They cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless they are doing a permitted paid engagement or an activity covered by the Creative Worker visa concession. They cannot claim public funds, and they cannot live in the UK through frequent or successive visits. They also cannot marry or register a civil partnership on an ETA. Anyone planning to marry in the UK needs a Marriage Visitor visa instead.
These limits are why the reason for the trip matters at the application stage. A traveler coming for a holiday, a family visit or a business meeting is within the ETA’s scope. A traveler coming to work, to study for more than a short course, or to live in the UK needs a visa. The GOV.UK guidance is the place to check the exact rules for a specific purpose, and the site links to the visa checker for travelers whose plans fall outside the ETA’s scope.
Beware Copycat Application Sites
The most expensive mistake a US traveler can make with the UK ETA is to apply through the wrong website. GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more to apply, and advises travelers to avoid websites that imitate government services. Copycat sites copy the look of official pages, charge fees far above 20 pounds, and add no value. They cannot get a faster decision, because the decision is made by the UK government, not by the website.
The safe rule is simple. The only official places to apply are GOV.UK and the official UK ETA app. The GOV.UK application page states that no one can get a faster decision by using another website or app, and that the official channels are the only ones that matter. Travelers who have already paid a third-party site should still check their ETA status through the official GOV.UK checker, and should not assume that a payment to a copycat site means an ETA has been granted.
London is one of the most visited cities in the world, and the ETA is now part of the routine of visiting it. The cultural norms to know before visiting London still apply once the traveler arrives, from queueing to tipping, and the city still rewards travelers who plan ahead. A stay at a classic hotel such as the Langham Hotel in London is as much a part of the trip as the sights themselves. The ETA is a small step at the start of the journey, and getting it right means the rest of the trip can begin without a problem at the airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do US citizens need a UK ETA to visit London?
Yes. US citizens usually need an ETA rather than a visa for a short visit to the UK, including London. The ETA costs 20 pounds, lasts 2 years or until the passport expires, and allows visits of up to 6 months at a time.
How much does a UK ETA cost?
An ETA costs 20 pounds, paid online by credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. There are no refunds. Other websites may charge more, so apply only through GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app.
How long does a UK ETA take?
Most decisions arrive within a day, and GOV.UK says a decision can take up to 3 working days. Travelers must wait for the confirmation email before traveling, and should apply well before the trip.
Does my child need a UK ETA?
Yes. Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children. A parent or guardian can apply for other people, but each traveler still needs their own ETA linked to their own passport.
Can I work in the UK on an ETA?
No, not in general. An ETA does not allow paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, except for a permitted paid engagement or activities under the Creative Worker visa concession. Travelers who want to work in the UK need a visa.
Does an ETA guarantee I can enter the UK?
No. An ETA is permission to travel, not a guarantee of entry. Travelers still meet a border officer on arrival, and the officer can refuse entry. The ETA must also be linked to the passport the traveler shows at the border.
Sources checked on 9 November 2026: the GOV.UK ETA overview, the GOV.UK page on applying for an ETA, and the GOV.UK page on what an ETA allows and does not allow. Travelers should recheck GOV.UK before departure, since the rules and the application process can change.
