UK ETA: What You Need to Know

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Beginning January 8, 2025, the United Kingdom will require an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for visa-exempt visitors from non-EU countries, including Canada and the US, for casual visits and transit.

Applications for the ETA are set to open on November 27, 2024, and if approved, it’s valid for up to two years.

If you plan on travelling to the UK in 2025 and beyond, here’s what you need to know about the UK ETA based on the available information so far.

What Is the UK ETA?

An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is an entry document similar to a visa, with the difference being that it can be applied for online, requires less paperwork, and doesn’t typically involve a stamp in your passport.

ETAs, usually issued without a passport sticker (unlike a conventional visa), are used by airlines and other entities to check with the authorities of the receiving country that a visitor is admissible ahead of their trip.

It then goes without saying that you usually can’t board a flight bound for your destination without an eligible ETA.

Canada and the US have had similar ETA requirements for most visa-exempt visitors in place for a while, and the EU will be coming up with a similar scheme in 2025 called ETIAS.

The United Kingdom will be requiring an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for visa-exempt visitors in phases.

Citizens from a handful of Middle Eastern countries already require one, while passport holders of non-EU countries, including Canada and the US, will be required to have an ETA starting January 8, 2025.

The final phase, which will require an ETA for passport holders of EU countries, will be put in force starting April 2, 2025.

What Can You Do with the UK ETA?

With a UK ETA, you can do the following:

Come to the UK for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business, or short-term study
Come to the UK on a Creative Working Visa or for permitted paid engagements
Transit in the UK, including if you’re not passing through passport control

You’ll need a visa or another entry document for longer stays or for stays involving any other purpose than the above.

While needing an ETA for actual visits is obvious, what needs to be emphasized is that you’ll also need an ETA for transit within an airport, even those not requiring you to pass through immigration. This means that you’ll need an ETA even if you’re transiting through the UK on one continuous ticket.

To illustrate, say you booked an Aeroplan ticket from Toronto to London on Air Canada with an onward connection to Frankfurt on Lufthansa after a few hours of transit time in the London airport.

While your bags will likely be through-checked to Frankfurt, and you won’t need to pass through passport control in London, beginning in January 2025, Air Canada will ask for your UK ETA in Toronto in order for you to check-in and board your flight.

How to Apply for the UK ETA

For passport holders from non-EU countries, including Canada and the US, applications for the UK ETA will open on November 27, 2024, ahead of the mandatory implementation on January 8, 2025.

In other words, while you can start applying for an ETA beginning in November 2024, you won’t actually need an ETA to enter the UK until January 2025.

Applying for the UK ETA is entirely done online, either through the official website or its associated app; however, the app is recommended since you’ll need a camera for the process.

You’ll need to allot at least 20 minutes for the application, and it has to be done in one go as the application doesn’t allow you to save it and come back later to continue.

Once you’ve initiated the process, you’ll be asked for a photo of yourself and of your passport, so make sure to have good lighting available, and more importantly, make sure that the photo of your passport is legible and free of glare.

You’ll then be asked about information about yourself, and then finally, you’ll need to pay the application fee.

UK ETA Timeline, Cost, and Validity

According to the UK Government, ETA approvals should take three working days or less, though they note that they can take longer if required.

However, it should be noted that ETAs issued in Canada and US are usually approved in a few minutes, so we’ll see in the future whether instant approval for UK ETAs will be possible as well.

Still, you should be applying for one as soon as possible to avoid last-minute troubles. Again, you won’t be able to board a flight to the UK without one, even if you’re only connecting at an airport within the country.

Applying early likewise allows for contingencies in the small chance that your ETA is delayed or not approved. In such cases, you might need to apply for a visa, which could take a few weeks and usually has an in-person component.

The UK ETA costs £10, and it’s valid for two years from approval (as long as your passport remains valid) and allows for multiple entries, so you don’t need to apply again if you’re heading to the UK more than once in that time period.

Conclusion

The United Kingdom is mandating previously visa-exempt nationals to acquire an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) ahead of their trips and transits in the country. Implementation is being done in phases, and non-EU passport holders, including those from Canada and the US, will be required to hold an ETA beginning January 8, 2025.

Access to apply for an ETA for Canada and US passport holders will open on November 27, 2024, ahead of the mandatory implementation in January. According to the UK government, approval will usually take three working days (though sometimes longer).

It’s advisable to apply ahead to avoid last-minute troubles and to allow for contingencies in the small chance that your ETA gets delayed or not approved.

Visit the UK government website for more information and for the application itself, and we’ll be sure to also update this article if there are new developments.

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