Understanding the UK ETA through etourist.com starts with a point the company itself repeats: the ETA is a government permission, and the service only helps you apply for it. This reference guide sets out what the Electronic Travel Authorisation is, who needs one, what it allows and how long it lasts, using GOV.UK and Home Office guidance.

Item	Detail
Official name	Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Government fee	£20 per person
Validity	2 years, or until the passport expires if sooner
Length of each visit	Up to 6 months
Places covered	UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man
Typical decision	Within a day, up to 3 working days
Ways to apply	UK ETA app or GOV.UK online form, or through a private service

Note. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Rules change, so confirm your own case on GOV.UK before you travel.

What the UK ETA Is and What It Is Not

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The Home Office describes the ETA as an electronic permission to travel. It is not a visa and not a tax, and it does not by itself permit entry. It authorizes you to travel to the UK, and a Border Force officer still decides at the border.

ETA compared with a visa

Point	ETA	Visa
Who uses it	Visitors from nationalities in the ETA scheme	Nationalities outside the scheme, and visits outside the ETA rules
How you apply	UK ETA app or online form	Full visa application
Fee	£20	Depends on the visa
Typical use	Tourism, family visits, business trips, short study	Work, longer study, marriage, settlement

etourist.com explains it the same way on its UK ETA page, comparing it to the US ESTA and Canada’s eTA. The ETA is linked digitally to your passport, so there is no sticker, stamp or paper document.

Why the UK introduced it

The government presents the ETA as a border security measure. Applicants give biographic and biometric details and answer suitability and criminality questions before they travel, so checks happen before boarding rather than only on arrival.

Ways to Apply for a UK ETA

There are two official routes and a third, private option. All three lead to the same Home Office decision and the same £20 government fee.

Route	What you need	Worth knowing
UK ETA app	A compatible iPhone, or an Android phone with NFC	Scans the passport chip and your face; the Home Office’s main route
GOV.UK online form	Photos of the passport and your face	Use it if the app does not work, or to apply for someone not with you
Private service such as etourist.com	Passport details, a recent photo, email and a card	Adds a review and support, plus a service fee

Whichever route you use, the application asks for your address, job, other nationalities and any criminal convictions, and payment is taken at the end. The decision arrives by email.

Who Needs a UK ETA

GOV.UK says most visitors from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada and certain other countries need an ETA instead of a visa. When enforcement began on 25 February 2026, the government put the total at 85 nationalities.

• Every traveler needs their own ETA, including babies and children.
• It covers tourism, visits to family and friends, business and short-term study.
• It is needed if you pass through UK border control while in transit.

Example. A Canadian couple flying to Edinburgh with a toddler need three ETAs, one each, at £20 apiece. (Illustrative.)

Who Is Exempt

The GOV.UK exemption list is longer than many travelers expect. You do not need an ETA if any of these applies to you.

• You are a British or Irish citizen, including if you also hold another nationality
• You have a UK visa
• You have permission to live, work or study in the UK, including settled or pre-settled status or right of abode
• You have permission to live, work or study in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man
• You travel on a British overseas territories citizen passport or a British National (Overseas) passport
• You live in Ireland and travel from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
• You are a child traveling on the France-UK school trip travel information form
• You are waiting for a decision on an EU Settlement Scheme application
• You are exempt from immigration control
• You transit airside without passing through border control

Good to know. Dual British or Irish citizens are not just exempt, they are ineligible. They travel on that passport or a certificate of entitlement.

What You Can and Cannot Do on an ETA Visit

An ETA lets you visit for up to 6 months at a time. The activities GOV.UK lists fall on two sides.

Allowed	Not allowed
Tourism and holidays	Staying longer than 6 months
Visiting family and friends	Paid or unpaid work for a UK company, or self-employment
Business trips	Claiming public funds
Short-term study	Living in the UK through frequent or successive visits
Up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession	Marrying, registering a civil partnership, or giving notice of either
A permitted paid engagement
Transit through a UK airport

Warning. Marrying or registering a civil partnership in the UK needs a Marriage Visitor visa. An ETA does not cover it.

Transit Through UK Airports

Transit is where many travelers get caught out. The rule turns on one question: do you pass through UK border control?

Airside transit

If you stay airside and never pass border control, you do not need an ETA. The Home Office factsheet says passengers transiting Heathrow and Manchester without passing UK border control do not currently need one. GOV.UK suggests checking with your airline if you are unsure.

Landside transit

If you pass through border control before your onward journey, you need an ETA. etourist.com gives examples on its UK ETA page: changing airports, collecting and re-checking bags, or spending a night near the airport.

Tip. Separate tickets can mean collecting bags and checking in again, which takes you landside. Check the itinerary before assuming you will stay airside.

Validity, Passports and Repeat Visits

An ETA lasts 2 years or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever is sooner. During that time you can make several journeys, each of up to 6 months.

1. A new passport ends the old ETA, so you apply again with the new one.
2. The GOV.UK check service shows whether you hold an ETA and when it expires, using the passport you applied with.
3. When an ETA expires, you apply for a new one.

Frequent visitors should keep the last rule in mind. GOV.UK lists living in the UK through frequent or successive visits among the things an ETA does not allow.

Grounds for Refusal at a Glance

The Immigration Rules include an appendix for ETAs that sets out when an application must be refused. The main suitability grounds are summarized below with their paragraph numbers.

Rule	Ground for refusal
ETA 2.1	An exclusion or deportation order, or a personal direction to exclude the applicant
ETA 2.2	A custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more, or any conviction in the previous 12 months
ETA 2.3	Presence in the UK not conducive to the public good because of conduct, character or associations
ETA 2.4	Past immigration breaches, such as overstaying, illegal entry or deception in an application
ETA 2.5	False representations or documents, or failing to disclose relevant facts

A refused ETA cannot be appealed, according to the Home Office factsheet, but the person can apply for a visa instead. GOV.UK points anyone with a criminal record or a previous refusal toward the Standard Visitor visa.

Note. Rule ETA 2.5 is why accuracy matters even for honest applicants. Leaving out a relevant fact can itself lead to refusal.

ETA Terms You Will See

Official guidance uses a handful of terms that are not obvious on first read.

• Airside. The part of an airport you stay in when you connect without passing border control.
• Landside. Anywhere beyond border control. Reaching it during a connection means you need an ETA.
• Border Force. The officers who decide on entry when you arrive, whatever your ETA says.
• Certificate of entitlement. A document proving the right of abode, used by dual British citizens who do not travel on a British passport.
• Permitted paid engagement. A specific type of paid activity a visitor is allowed to do, listed by GOV.UK as covered by an ETA.
• Creative Worker visa concession. An arrangement allowing up to 3 months of creative work on an ETA.
• UKVI. UK Visas and Immigration, the part of the Home Office to contact if no decision arrives within 3 working days.

Where etourist.com Fits in the UK ETA Picture

etourist.com does not change any of the rules above. It offers a browser-based form, a specialist review before submission and 24/7 support by chat, WhatsApp or email. The company, operated by Travel Zoom LLC, says it is not affiliated with any government and that travelers can always apply directly.

Good to know. Applying directly on GOV.UK or through the UK ETA app costs £20. Applying through etourist.com adds the company’s service fee to that amount.

Common Questions on ETA Basics

How far ahead should I apply?

The Home Office recommends at least 3 working days before travel. Most decisions are faster, but a case sent for manual review can use the full window.

Is the government fee refundable?

No. GOV.UK says you cannot get a refund after you apply, including if the application is rejected and you need to apply again.

Can I appeal a refusal?

No. The Home Office factsheet says there is no appeal, but you can apply for a visa instead.

Do I need an ETA if I live in Ireland?

Not if you live in Ireland and travel from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. GOV.UK lists this as an exemption, so check where your journey starts.

What if my ETA is refused because of an error?

You apply again with the correct details and pay the fee again. GOV.UK says a rejected application, or one with details that need changing, means a new application.

What happens if I stay longer than 6 months?

An ETA does not allow it. Staying beyond 6 months falls outside what GOV.UK lists as permitted on an ETA visit, so a longer stay needs a different permission.