Most visitors to London need either an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or a visa before they travel. Citizens of the EU, the USA, Canada, Australia and many other countries apply online for an ETA, which costs £20; other nationalities usually need a Standard Visitor visa. Only British and Irish citizens, and a few other groups, need neither.
The UK is not part of the Schengen area, so a Schengen visa does not give you the right to enter. Since April 2025 the UK has required almost every visitor who does not need a visa to get digital permission before travelling. That permission is the ETA: a short online application linked to your passport, not a sticker or a stamp.
This guide explains which group you belong to, how the ETA works, what you may and may not do as a visitor, and what happens at the border when you land. It summarises the official rules on GOV.UK. Rules can change, so always check the official visa checker on GOV.UK for your nationality before you book.
The ETA in brief (September 2026)
- Price
- £20 per person, including babies and children (from 8 April 2026)
- How to apply
- The official UK ETA app, or online on GOV.UK
- Decision time
- Usually within a day, but allow up to 3 working days
- Valid for
- 2 years, or until your passport expires if sooner
- Length of each visit
- Up to 6 months; unlimited visits while valid
- Refund
- None, even if you are refused
Visa, ETA or neither: find your group
Every visitor falls into one of three groups. Your nationality decides which one, not where you live or where you fly from.
| Your situation | What you need | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| British or Irish citizen | Nothing extra; travel on your passport | Also if you hold both nationalities |
| National of a country on the ETA list | An ETA (£20) before you travel | All EU countries except Ireland; Norway, Switzerland, Iceland; the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, the Gulf states |
| Any other nationality | Usually a Standard Visitor visa (£135) | Check your nationality on GOV.UK |
The ETA was phased in by nationality. Qatar came first, in November 2023, followed by the other Gulf states in February 2024. More than 40 countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, were added from 8 January 2025. EU citizens (except Irish citizens), along with Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City, have needed an ETA since 2 April 2025. The full list is in the Immigration Rules ETA national list.
If you already hold a UK visa, or permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status), you do not need an ETA as well.
Photo: © Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized
How to apply for an ETA, step by step
You will need your passport, an email address, and a payment card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Download the official UK ETA app from Google Play or the App Store, or start the application on the GOV.UK ETA page.
- Scan or enter your passport details. Use the same passport you will travel on.
- Take a photo of your face, answer the questions about your background and pay the £20 fee.
- Wait for the decision by email. Most come within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days. Do not travel until you have the approval email, which contains a 16-digit ETA reference.
You can apply for other people, such as your children or a partner. In the app you can only do this if they are with you; otherwise use the online form. GOV.UK offers help by webchat only, and you can check the status of an application at GOV.UK's ETA status page.
Lookalike ETA websites charge more for the same £20 form. GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more and advises you to avoid sites that imitate government services. No other website or app can get you a faster decision. Use only the official app or a page that starts with www.gov.uk.
Children, families and group trips
Every traveller needs their own ETA, including babies and children. A family of four with four EU or US passports therefore pays £80 in total, and a baby on a parent's lap needs an ETA just like an adult.
There are a few exceptions for school groups. Children on a French school trip travelling with the France-UK school trip travel information form do not need an ETA, and the Immigration Rules also cover certain French and German school groups. Ordinary family holidays are not affected by these exceptions. For a relaxed family trip, see our guide to London with kids.
Passports and ID cards: what to bring
Your passport must be valid for your whole stay. That is the only passport validity rule on GOV.UK's visitor page, but your airline or your own country may have stricter requirements, so check with them too.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens should bring a passport. National ID cards are no longer accepted for entry, except for a few groups such as people with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, frontier workers and some others with specific permits. An ID card also cannot be used at the automatic eGates.
Your ETA is linked to the passport you used to apply. If you get a new passport after applying, check the GOV.UK ETA page for what to do before you travel. If your passport is lost or stolen while you are in London, our guide to emergency numbers and what to do when things go wrong explains the first steps.
What you can and cannot do as a visitor
With an ETA or a Standard Visitor visa you can stay for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business meetings, short courses of study and some permitted paid engagements. An ETA allows unlimited visits while it is valid, but each visit is limited to 6 months.
As a visitor you cannot:
- do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless it is a permitted paid engagement
- claim public funds (benefits)
- live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits
- get married, register a civil partnership or give notice of either; for that you need a Marriage Visitor visa
An ETA does not guarantee entry. A Border Force officer still decides at the border. GOV.UK suggests that people with a criminal record, or who have been refused entry to the UK before, may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead of relying on an ETA.
The Standard Visitor visa, if you need one
Nationals of countries that are not on the ETA list usually need a Standard Visitor visa. It costs £135 for up to 6 months (from 8 April 2026). You can apply up to 3 months before you travel, and it involves considerably more paperwork than an ETA.
Because processing takes time, apply as early as the rules allow, especially before busy periods. The official requirements, documents and waiting times are on the GOV.UK Standard Visitor page.
Changing planes in London: when transit needs an ETA
If you change planes at a UK airport without going through UK border control, you do not need an ETA. This is called airside transit. If you need to pass through border control, for example to collect bags, change airports or stay overnight, you are entering the UK and need an ETA (or a visa, depending on your nationality).
Moving between Heathrow and Gatwick always means passing through border control, because you have to travel by road or rail. Our guide to transferring between Heathrow and Gatwick covers the journey. If you are unsure whether your connection is airside, ask your airline.
A long layover in London counts as a visit. Leaving the airport to see the city for a few hours means going through border control, so you need a valid ETA or visa even if you fly on the same day. Apply at least three working days before your first flight.
Arriving: eGates, passport control and customs
There are no landing cards to fill in. At the larger airports you will see eGates, automatic gates that scan your passport and your face. Border Force runs more than 290 of them at 15 air and rail ports.
You can normally use an eGate if you have a biometric passport (with the chip symbol), a valid ETA or other status, are 8 or older (8-17-year-olds must be with an adult), are at least 120 cm tall, and are a national of the UK, an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA. Everyone else queues for a Border Force officer. Paid "fast track" lanes exist at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
After passport control you go through customs. Most visitors walk through the green "nothing to declare" channel, but there are limits on alcohol, tobacco, food and cash. Our guide to UK customs allowances lists them. For what happens next at the biggest airport, see our Heathrow arrivals guide, and compare the train, Tube and taxi options in getting from Heathrow into the city.
Before you choose flights, remember that London has six airports, some of them a long way from the centre. Our comparison of which London airport suits your trip weighs up travel time and cost into the centre. Once you are through, you will need pounds or a card that works abroad: our guide to paying your way in London explains the options.
Travelling on from London to Europe
If your trip continues to France or Belgium by Eurostar, you pass French border controls at St Pancras before boarding. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running in all Schengen countries since 10 April 2026, and Eurostar says its recommended check-in times allow for EES registration. Our guide to Eurostar from London to Paris explains the process at the station.
Entry rules are only one part of preparing. Our first-time visitor's guide covers the rest, and the article on healthcare for visitors explains why travel insurance matters on a UK trip.
One ETA covers two years of trips. If you visit London more than once, you do not need to apply again each time. The same ETA works for every visit until it expires after two years or your passport runs out, whichever comes first.
Frequently asked questions
Do EU citizens need an ETA to visit London?
Yes. Since 2 April 2025, citizens of all EU countries except Ireland need an ETA to visit the UK, and so do citizens of Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. It costs £20 and you apply through the official UK ETA app or on GOV.UK.
Do US citizens need a visa for the UK?
No, but they need an ETA. US citizens have needed one since 8 January 2025 for tourist trips of up to 6 months. It costs £20, is valid for 2 years or until the passport expires, and must be approved before you travel.
How long does it take to get a UK ETA?
GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days. You must wait for the approval email before you travel, so apply well before your departure date.
Do babies and children need a UK ETA?
Yes. Every traveller needs their own ETA, including babies and children, and each one costs £20. A parent or guardian can apply on their behalf in the app or online.
Can I enter the UK with my EU national ID card?
Generally not. Most EU, EEA and Swiss citizens must use a passport to enter the UK. ID cards are only accepted for a few groups, such as people with status under the EU Settlement Scheme, and ID card holders cannot use the eGates.
Do I need an ETA if I only change planes in London?
Not if you stay airside and do not pass through UK border control. If you go through border control, for example to change airports or collect luggage, you need an ETA or a visa. Check with your airline if you are unsure.
Sources
- GOV.UK - Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Immigration Rules: Appendix ETA National List (checked September 2026)
- Home Office - Immigration and nationality fees from 8 April 2026 (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor (checked September 2026)
- Border Force - Faster travel through the UK border (checked September 2026)
- GOV.UK - Check if you need a UK visa (checked September 2026)