Here is what you need to know about the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Background to Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
In terms of coming to the UK as a visitor, the Home Office divides nationalities into two groups; people from countries who need to get a visa before travelling to the UK for a visit (known as “visa nationals”, the list of these countries is here) and those from countries who can travel to the UK for a visit without getting a visa (known as “non-visa nationals”). EU citizens fall under the latter category of non-visa nationals, meaning they can visit the UK for up to six months for a permitted visiting purpose without needing to apply for a visitor visa.
However, although EU citizens do not need a visa to visit the UK, from 2 April 2025 EU visitors (including children) will need to have a Home Office issued Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). If they do not have an ETA then a carrier (this means an airline, Eurostar or ferry operator) can refuse to allow them to travel to the UK. Effectively, the carrier will check with the Home Office that EU visitors hold an ETA when they check-in for their journey. Below there is a list of EU citizens who do not need an ETA to travel to the UK, which includes all Irish citizens who are exempt from the ETA requirement.
Is an ETA a visa?
An ETA is not a visa that permits entry to the UK, as it is just a permission that allows a non-visa national to travel to the UK for the purposes of visiting. This means you should only apply for an ETA if you are visiting the UK and are a national from a non-visa country. The list of nationalities who should apply for ETA can be seen here. If you have another reason wanting to travel to the UK, for example to work, then you need to get a visa for this purpose (e.g. a Skilled Worker visa). An ETA is held in electronic form which means that it is a digital / online permission, rather than a stamp or vignette put into the visitor’s passport. The purpose of making visitors apply for an ETA before travelling to the UK is so that the Home Office can carry out a background check on the person (e.g. check any criminal records the person has), so that persons who are not deemed suitable are prevented from travel to the UK.
It is important to be aware that an ETA does not grant permission to enter the UK as a visitor, as the ETA only provides the permission to travel to the UK border. Permission to enter the UK will still be granted at the UK border, either via the automatic gates(known as eGates which are available to EU citizens) or via an immigration desk (where a Border Force officer grants entry). Although it is quite unlikely, this means that a person holding an ETA could still be refused permission to enter the UK once they arrive at the UK border. This could happen if for example, Border Force does not accept that the person holding the ETA is genuinely visiting the UK. You can read more about what you are allowed to do whilst visiting the UK at this gov.uk website (remember, as an EU citizen you do not need to apply for a visitor visa, but you do need to be aware of the rules for visitors to the UK as set out in the guidance).
As already noted, if your purpose for travelling to the UK is not as a visitor, then you should not apply for an ETA as you will need to apply for a visa instead (e.g. a Skilled Worker visa if you are coming to the UK to work).
How do I apply for an ETA?
To get an ETA you have make an application using the Home Office App or by making an online application and paying £16. The application process for an ETA should be straightforward, you will need the valid passport you are travelling on, you will need to submit a digital photograph (if you are over 9 years old) and you will have to answer some background questions (e.g. about any criminal records you have). You will also need to pay the fee for the ETA when you submit your application.
If you do not complete the application correctly (e.g. the application fee is not paid) or if the Home Office cannot verify your identity, then your ETA application will be rejected which means it will not be processed. You will need to resubmit the ETA application for it to be accepted and processed.
Most ETA applications are decided within three days according to the Home Office, but in many cases the decision will be made quicker. You will receive notification via email of the outcome of your application. The Home Office advises that you apply for an ETA before you book any travel to the UK.
How long does my ETA last?
If your application is successful, you will be granted an ETA either for two years, or the duration that your current passport is valid for if this is less than two years (e.g. if your passport is valid for one year the ETA you are granted will cease to be valid after one year when the passport expires). You can use the ETA for multiple visits to the UK whilst it is valid, meaning you do you not need a new ETA each time you visit the UK.
Your ETA is digitally linked to the passport you have applied with and so you must use this passport to travel to the UK with. For example, if you have two EU nationalities and you apply for an ETA using one of your EU passports, you should travel with this passport as your other passport will not have an ETA linked to it and you could be refused boarding by a carrier.
As the ETA is digitally linked to the passport you should not need to show the carrier that you have an ETA, as they should be able to confirm your ETA from your passport details. However, as you will receive an email from the Home Office confirming that you have been issued an ETA, it is advisable to print this off as confirmation you have an ETA, just in case the carrier is unable to confirm from your passport details. Carriers can also contact the Home Office directly using the 24-hour contact line to the Carrier Support Hub to check if you have been issued with an ETA.
What if my ETA application is refused?
While most people will receive their ETA without any issue, you can be refused an ETA if for example you have certain criminal convictions, you have committed past immigration violations in the UK (e.g. overstaying previous immigration permission), you submit false information with your application, or the Home Office determines you are otherwise not suitable for an ETA (e.g. because of your character or associations). There is no right to ask for a Home Office review or to bring an appeal against a refusal of an ETA and so the only way to challenge an ETA refusal is by bringing a claim for judicial review (this is a complex and costly process).
If your application for an ETA is refused this does not mean you are automatically barred from visiting the UK. It is however very likely that if you make another ETA application you will be refused again, although, there may be situations where the passage of time means that even if you had been previously refused an ETA, you could be issued one in the future. Generally, if you have been refused an ETA and you still wish to visit the UK, you will need to apply for a visitor visa. A visit visa application requires you to provide more information than an ETA application and has a higher application fee. If you are granted a visit visa this allows you to travel to and enter the UK.
Please note however, that if you have been refused an ETA you might also be refused a visit visa for the same reasons. For example, if you have a criminal conviction that means you are refused an ETA, this criminal conviction may also mean you cannot meet the conditions to be granted a visit visa. In this situation you will not be permitted to visit the UK.
As ETA refusals are complicated, we strongly recommend speaking to a qualified and regulated legal adviser to best understand your options. We have provided more information about finding a qualified and regulated legal adviser in the section Where can I find regulated immigration advice?.
EU citizens who do not need an ETA
ETA are required by EU citizens (including children) who are visiting the UK. However, there are some situations where EU citizens will not need to get an ETA which include:
- EU citizens who have pre-settled or settled status under the EU settlement scheme
- EU citizens who have a UK visa (e.g. skilled workers, students, EUSS family permits)
- All Irish citizens
- Dual EU / British citizens (a British passport or certificate of entitlement will be needed to show the carrier)
- EU citizens (other than Irish citizens) who live in Ireland who are travelling to the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man*
- EU citizens transiting through a UK airport and will not pass through border control (you will need to check with your airline if you are not sure if this applies to you)
- Children of any nationality travelling on a France-UK school trip travel information form
- EU citizens who are exempt from immigration control .
*Note that if you are an EU citizen (other than an Irish citizen) living in Ireland and you are travelling to the UK from a place other than Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, you will need an ETA unless you are transiting through a UK airport without crossing border control. For example, if you are Bulgarian citizen who lives in Ireland and you are travelling back to Ireland from Bulgaria but wish to stop for a few days in the UK on your way home to Ireland, you will need to apply for an ETA.
EU citizens with pre-settled or settled status under the EU settlement scheme
As noted above, EU citizens (and persons of any other nationality) with pre-settled or settled status under the EU settlement scheme do not need an ETA to travel to the UK. However, because carriers will be checking that EU travellers have permission to travel to the UK, it is very important that you travel on an ID document (passport or national ID card) that is linked to your UKVI account. Otherwise, a carrier will not know that you have pre-settled or settled status and might think that you need an ETA for them to allow you travel to the UK. Therefore, you should always check that your ID documents are linked to your UKVI account before you travel outside the UK.
When you applied to the Home Office for your pre-settled or settled status the passport or national ID card you applied with is automatically linked to your UKVI account. Therefore, if you are still travelling on the same document that you applied to the EU settlement scheme with, you do not need to take any action as your passport or national ID card will already be linked to your UKVI account.
If you have changed passport or national ID card since you applied to the EU settlement scheme, or you want to add one of these documents to your UKVI account as an alternative travel document (you can link more than one travel document to your UKVI account), you will need to sign into your UKVI account and follow the instructions. Normally you can link your passport or national ID card using the online service however, in some situations you may be required to send your document to the Home Office for verification. If you have to send your document to the Home Office for verification it should be returned to you without delay.
If you are having difficulties signing into your UK account, then you should follow the Home Office instructions on how to recover the account. You can read more about here about travelling with pre-settled or settled status in the section Travelling to and from the UK with pre-settled or settled status.
Further information
Guidance: Applying for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) (Home Office)
Guidance: Electronic travel authorisation (ETA): residents of Ireland (Home Office)
Using the ‘UK ETA’ app (Home Office)
Apply online for an ETA to come to the UK (Home Office)
Video guide: What is an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)? (Home Office)
Video guide: How to Apply For a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) (Home Office)
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This site offers information about Brexit, how it may impact you as an EU citizen and your family living in the UK, and what you may need to do next. It summarises key issues and is purely for information purposes and has no legal force. It does not provide any legal interpretation of EU or UK legislation and is not meant to replace specialised legal advice on UK immigration rules.