Electronic Travel Authorisation – what you need to know - BM Insights

An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) enables visitors to come to the UK for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study.

Non-European travellers to the UK who do not need to apply for a visit visa in order to visit the UK (for example USA nationals) now need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before visiting the UK. The requirement was introduced on 8 January 2025.

An ETA currently costs £10 and permits multiple journeys and lasts two years or until a passport holder’s passport expires, whichever is the sooner. Once granted, an ETA is digitally linked to a traveller’s passport and allows stays of up to six months at a time, including both short trips and more extended stays. An ETA is a digital permission to travel and not a visa.

European national travellers will need to apply for an ETA before visiting the UK as from 2 April 2025 and will be able to apply from 5 March 2025.

From 2 April 2025, all visitors to the UK who do not need a visa for short stays and who do not already have a UK immigration status will need an ETA.

On 16 January 2025, the UK Government published the draft Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025. Subject to Parliamentary approval, this will introduce new fees and in relation specifically to the ETA, this will increase from £10 to £16. We do not have an implementation date at the moment.