The new ETA phase system is already being implemented, with the third and final being 2 April 2025 for European travellers

US visitors and visitors from Europe, Australia and Canada must apply for permission to enter the UK through a new scheme known as Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which will come into effect on Wednesday 8 January 2025.

The UK government is in the process of fully digitising UK borders – and the ETA scheme will play its part, allowing “individuals, and carriers, with more assurance at an earlier point in time about their ability to travel to the UK,” the government said in a previous statement. Visitors must fill out an online application permitting them to travel. A small fee will be included in the application – similar to how the US’s ESTA system works for UK travellers.

Here’s everything we know.

Will I need an ETA to enter the UK?
Travellers who don’t currently need a visa to enter the UK will need an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) which clears them to enter the country, from 8 January 2025 onwards. EU citizens are exempt from needing an ETA to enter the UK until 2 April 2025.

Is the ETA a visa?
No – it’s a visa waiver. Travellers from countries which already require a visa to enter the UK will still need to obtain a visa, and won’t need to get an ETA as well. The ETA is purely for travellers who don’t, as of before 8 January 2025, need a visa.

Who needs to get an ETA to enter the UK on or after 8 January 2025?
As of 8 January 2025, citizens of the following countries need to get an ETA before travelling to the UK.

Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
The Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Chile
Costa Rica
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)
Israel
Japan
Kiribati
Macao Special Administrative Region
Malaysia
Maldives
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Federated States of Micronesia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Samoa
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Korea
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Taiwan (if you have a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
United States
Uruguay

Who needs to get an ETA to visit the UK on or after 2 April 2025?
Citizens from the following countries will need an ETA before arrival in the UK when visiting on or after 2 April 2025. They can apply online from 5 March 2025.

Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Vatican City

How long will it take to get an ETA?
Travellers must apply for an ETA at least a few days before their journey. Approval should be granted within 72 hours of application, but may take longer.

How long will an ETA last?
After your ETA has been approved, visitors will be granted permission to stay in the UK for six months, whether for business or tourism reasons. The ETA will be valid for two years, and cover multiple entries to the UK during that time period.

How much will an ETA cost?
An ETA costs £10 per person, and the fee applies to all travellers, including babies and children.

Who does not need to apply for an ETA?
You do not need an ETA if you have a visa, have permission to live, work or study in the UK, are a British or Irish citizen, or are travelling on a British Overseas Territories citizen passport. Exemption also applied to those living in Ireland and travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, and dual citizens with British or Irish citizenship.

What will I need to apply for an ETA?
You’ll need a valid passport, an email address to register with, to supply the details of your travel and a valid debit or credit card to pay any fees to apply.

To keep up to date with the latest information on the ETA scheme, check the gov.uk website for more details as they become available.

Youtube video courtesy of gov.uk/home-office