Americans no longer just show a passport to visit the United Kingdom. Every U.S. citizen, including babies, now needs an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) approved before they travel, and airlines check for it at the gate. Enforcement for Americans has been in full effect since February 25, 2026, and the fee rose from £16 to £20 on April 8, 2026.
The good news is that it’s one of the easier pieces of travel paperwork out there. Here’s the whole process, start to finish.
The Essentials
| Who needs it | U.S. citizens visiting the UK for tourism, family visits, business meetings, or short study (up to 6 months), and passengers connecting through the UK who pass through border control |
| Cost | £20 per person, nonrefundable |
| Valid for | 2 years, or until the passport you applied with expires, whichever comes first |
| Trips | Unlimited during that period, up to 6 months per visit |
| Where to apply | The official UK ETA app or the GOV.UK website only |
| Decision time | Usually within a day; allow up to 3 working days |
Before You Open the App
Have these ready:
- The passport you’ll travel on. The ETA is electronically linked to it. If you’re planning to renew soon, do it before you apply; a new passport means a new ETA. See the passport renewal checklist or, for a first passport, the passport application documents.
- A phone with a camera, if you use the app. It scans your passport photo page and your face.
- A recent digital photo of yourself, if you apply on the website instead.
- An email address where you’ll receive the decision.
- A credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
- Honest answers to the background questions, which cover criminal convictions and past immigration problems.
Applying, Step by Step
Step 1: Download the official app or go to GOV.UK
Search the App Store or Google Play for the UK ETA app published by the UK Home Office, or go directly to the GOV.UK ETA page. Ignore search ads. Dozens of third-party sites look official and charge two or three times the real fee.
Step 2: Scan your passport
The app reads the chip in your U.S. passport. Hold your phone against the passport as instructed. If the chip won’t read, the website route lets you upload a photo of the information page instead.
Step 3: Take a photo of your face
Plain background, no glasses, nothing covering your face. The app compares it to your passport photo.
Step 4: Answer the questions
Contact details, your job, and whether you have criminal convictions. You’ll need to disclose convictions even if they’re old.
Step 5: Pay £20
The fee is the same through the app and the website.
Step 6: Wait for the email
Most decisions arrive quickly, often within minutes. The UK government asks travelers to allow up to three working days, Monday through Friday. Check your spam folder if nothing arrives. The approval email has a 16-digit ETA reference number; you don’t need to print it, but save it.
Wait until you’re approved before booking anything you can’t cancel. Our UK ETA processing time guide covers what to do if a decision is delayed, and the full fee history is in the UK ETA cost breakdown.
Applying for the Whole Family
Each traveler needs their own ETA, and the £20 fee applies at every age; there’s no exemption for children. A parent or guardian can apply on a child’s behalf, and you can apply for other people from the same app. For a family of four, that’s £80.
If a child is traveling with only one parent or with grandparents, the ETA doesn’t ask about consent, but airline and UK border staff can. Bring a child travel consent letter from the absent parent, and read up on one parent traveling abroad with a child.
Who Doesn’t Need an ETA
- Dual U.S.-British citizens. You must enter on a valid British passport (or have a certificate of entitlement in your U.S. passport). You can’t get an ETA as a British citizen, and an airline may refuse to board you with only a U.S. passport.
- Irish citizens, including dual U.S.-Irish citizens traveling on an Irish passport.
- People who already hold a UK visa or permission to live, work, or study in the UK.
- Some transit passengers. Travelers who connect without going through UK border control have been exempted at certain airports, including Heathrow and Manchester. Confirm with your airline before relying on this, since the rules for transit have changed more than once.
Green card holders aren’t covered by their U.S. status here. What you need depends on the passport you hold. If you’ll be away from the U.S. for a long time, see the re-entry permit documents as well.
Traveling via Ireland
The UK and Ireland share the Common Travel Area, but that doesn’t excuse Americans from the ETA. If you fly into Dublin and continue to Belfast, London, or anywhere else in the UK, including over the land border into Northern Ireland, you need an approved UK ETA.
What an ETA Doesn’t Do
An ETA is permission to travel, not a guarantee of entry. A UK Border Force officer still decides whether to let you in. It also doesn’t allow:
- Paid work in the UK
- Study longer than six months
- Living in the UK or staying more than six months per visit
- Getting married or entering a civil partnership (that requires a visa)
For anything beyond a visit, you need the appropriate UK visa.
Business Trips on an ETA
Many U.S. business travelers can use an ETA, because it covers the same activities the UK allows on a standard visitor visit. That generally includes:
- Attending meetings, conferences, seminars, and interviews
- Negotiating and signing deals or contracts
- Site visits and inspections
- Gathering information for an employer based outside the UK
- Speaking at a one-off event, within the visitor rules
What it doesn’t cover is doing productive work for a UK company or being paid by a UK source, with narrow exceptions. If your trip involves hands-on project work, a placement, or a paid engagement, ask your employer’s immigration team whether you need a visa instead. Border officers do ask business travelers what they’ll be doing, so carry an invitation letter or event registration if you have one.
A Simple Timeline for a Typical Trip
| When | What to do |
| As soon as you start planning | Check your passport’s expiration date and renew if it ends within the next two years |
| When you book flights | Apply for each traveler’s ETA |
| Within 3 working days | Confirm everyone has an approval email |
| The week before you fly | Make sure the passport you’re carrying is the one each ETA is linked to |
| At check-in | The airline verifies the ETA electronically; nothing to print |
Planning a Trip That Includes Europe
The UK’s ETA has nothing to do with the European Union’s version, called ETIAS, which isn’t operating yet. If you’re adding Paris or Rome to a London trip, read ETIAS requirements for U.S. citizens and check our ETIAS start date tracker before you go.
Problems and Fixes
| Problem | What to do |
| The app won’t read your passport chip | Try removing the phone case, then hold still for longer. If it still fails, apply on the website with a photo of the information page. |
| No decision after 3 working days | Check spam, then contact UK Visas and Immigration through GOV.UK. |
| Your ETA was refused | You’ll be told why. You can’t appeal, but you can apply for a visitor visa instead. |
| You renewed your passport | Apply for a new ETA with the new passport. The old one won’t carry over. |
| Your name changed | Your ETA must match the passport you travel on. Update your passport first using the name change document guide, then apply. |
| You paid a third-party site | Check whether they actually filed an application. If not, dispute the charge and apply through the official channel. |
Short Answers
- Do I need to show my ETA at the airport? No paper is needed. The airline checks it electronically against your passport, but keep the email on your phone.
- Does my ETA cover multiple trips? Yes, unlimited trips for two years, as long as each visit is six months or less.
- Can I apply at the airport? Technically yes, from your phone, but approval isn’t guaranteed in time. Apply as soon as you book.
- Is the ETA a visa? No. It’s a pre-travel authorization for people who don’t need a visa for short visits.
- Do I still need REAL ID for my domestic flight to the international gateway? Yes, if you’re flying within the U.S. first, TSA’s ID rules apply to that leg; your passport works. See what ID you need to fly.