Application For Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) UK

• Page Contents
• Overview
• Who Can Apply For ETA?
• Requirements For ETA
• Suitability Requirements
• Period Of Grant Of An ETA
• Cancellation Of An ETA
• How Can We Help?
• Our Fixed Fees
• Other Related Services
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

ETA” means an Electronic Travel Authorisation as defined in section 11C(1) of the Immigration Act 1971. An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a new requirement for people who do not need a visa to come to the UK. It gives you permission to travel to the UK, and it is electronically linked to your passport. A person seeking to enter the UK as a Visitor must, where required, under Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation, obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation before travelling to the UK.

An application for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is made in accordance with requirements as set out in Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation of the Immigration Rules. 

The ETA application process will open on 25 October 2023 only for Qatari nationals who intend to travel to the UK on or after 15 November 2023. The ETA application process will open on 1 February 2024 only for nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirate or Saudi Arabia who intend to travel to the UK on or after 22 February 2024

You will need to apply on the UK ETA app, or online on GOV.UK. You will usually get a decision within 3 working days, but you may get a quicker decision. It may take longer than 3 working days if we need to make further checks.

With an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), you will be allowed to:

• come to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or study
• come to the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession
• transit through the UK

Who Can Apply For An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)?

The ETA scheme applies to third country national passengers visiting the UK or transiting the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, as well as those using the Creative Worker route for a short stay.

From 15 November 2023, you’ll need an ETA if you’re travelling to the UK and you’re a national of Qatar.

From 22 February 2024, you’ll need an ETA if you’re travelling to the UK and you’re a national of:

• Bahrain
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates

More countries will be added to the scheme later.

Requirements For An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) UK

An application for an ETA must meet the following requirements:

• the application must be made in accordance with the application process on the gov.uk website using either the mobile application ‘UK ETA’ or the specified online form: ‘Apply for an ETA to come to the UK’; and
• the applicant must provide an email address which can be used by the Home Office to contact them; and
• the required fee must be paid; and
• the applicant must provide, in accordance with the application process, a passport which satisfactorily establishes their identity and nationality; and
• the applicant must provide a facial image in accordance with the application process and which complies with the rules for digital photos on ‘https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports’; and
• the applicant must be seeking permission to enter the UK as either:
  • a Visitor (other than a Marriage/Civil Partnership Visitor), staying in the UK for up to 6 months; or
  • a Creative Worker who is seeking entry to the UK pursuant to paragraph Appendix Temporary Work - Creative Worker at CRV 3.2.
• The applicant must be:
  • a national of Qatar who intends to travel to the UK on or after 15 November 2023; or
  • a national of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia who intends to travel to the UK on or after 22 February 2024.

An applicant who is lawfully resident in Ireland and is travelling to the UK from elsewhere in the Common Travel Area does not need to obtain an ETA. For the purposes of ETA 1.3, a person is lawfully resident in Ireland if they are resident in, and entitled to reside in, Ireland under any relevant legislation or rules which apply in Ireland at the time of the ETA application, but a person is not lawfully resident if they may not leave or attempt to leave Ireland without the consent of an Irish Minister.

Suitability Requirements For An ETA

An applicant for ETA must meet the following suitability requirements for the grant of ETA:

Exclusion or deportation order grounds

An application for an ETA must be refused where:

• the Secretary of State has personally directed that the applicant be excluded from the UK; or
• the applicant is the subject of an exclusion order; or
• the applicant is the subject of a deportation order, or a decision to make a deportation order.

Criminality Grounds

An application for an ETA must be refused where the applicant:

• has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas for which they have received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more; or
• has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas unless more than 12 months have passed since the date of conviction.

Non-conducive Grounds

An application for an ETA must be refused where the applicant’s presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good because of their conduct, character, associations or other reasons (including convictions which do not fall within the criminality grounds).

Previous Breach Of Immigration Laws Grounds

An application for an ETA must be refused if, when they were aged 18 or over, the applicant:

• overstayed their permission; or
• breached a condition attached to their permission, unless entry clearance or
• further permission was subsequently granted with knowledge of the breach; or
• were (or still are) an illegal entrant; or
• used deception in relation to an immigration application (whether or not successfully).

False Representations, etc. Grounds

An application for an ETA must be refused where, in relation to the current or a previous ETA application:

• false representations were made, or false documents or false information was submitted (whether or not relevant to the application, and whether or not to the applicant’s knowledge); or
• relevant facts were not disclosed.

Debt To The NHS Grounds

An application for an ETA must be refused where a relevant NHS body has notified the Secretary of State that the applicant has failed to pay charges under relevant NHS regulations on charges to overseas visitors and the outstanding charges have a total value of at least £500.

Unpaid Litigation Costs Grounds

An application for an ETA must be refused where the applicant has failed to pay litigation costs awarded to the Home Office.

Period Of Grant Of An ETA

An ETA will be valid for 2 years from the date of grant or until the expiry of the holder’s passport used in the ETA application, whichever is sooner.

A person holding a valid ETA may make multiple journeys to the UK, for the purpose of seeking permission to enter on arrival as either:

• a Visitor, seeking entry for up to 6 months on each occasion; or
• a Creative Worker who is seeking entry to the UK pursuant to Appendix Temporary Work – Creative Worker at CRV 3.2.

Cancellation Of An ETA

An ETA granted by the Home Office UKVI can be cancelled on the following grounds:

Cancellation on exclusion or deportation order grounds

An ETA held by a person must be cancelled where:

• the Secretary of State has personally directed that the applicant be excluded from the UK; or
• the applicant is the subject of an exclusion order; or
• the applicant is the subject of a deportation order, or a decision to make a deportation order.

Cancellation On Criminality Grounds

An ETA held by a person must be cancelled where the person:

• has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas for which they have received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more; or
• has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas unless more than 12 months has passed since the date of conviction

Cancellation on non-conducive grounds

An ETA held by a person must be cancelled where the person’s presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good because of their conduct, character, associations or other reasons (including convictions which do not fall within the criminality grounds).

Cancellation on breach of immigration laws grounds

An ETA held by a person must be cancelled if, when they were aged 18 or over, the holder:

• overstayed their permission; or
• breached a condition attached to their permission and entry clearance or
• further permission was not subsequently granted with knowledge of the breach; or
• were (or still are) an illegal entrant; or
• used deception in relation to an immigration application (whether or not successfully).

Cancellation on false representations, etc. grounds

An ETA held by a person must be cancelled where in relation to an ETA application:

• false representations were made, or false documents or false information submitted (whether or not relevant to the application, and whether or not to the applicant’s knowledge); or
• relevant facts were not disclosed.

Cancellation due to debt to the NHS

An ETA held by a person must be cancelled where a relevant NHS body has notified the Secretary of State that the holder has failed to pay charges under relevant NHS regulations on charges to overseas visitors and the outstanding charges have a total value of at least £500.

Cancellation due to unpaid litigation costs

An ETA held by a person must be cancelled where the holder has failed to pay litigation costs awarded to the Home Office.

How Can We Help?

Our specialist team of visit visa solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representations on fixed fee basis in relation to your application for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) UK. Our fixed fee for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) application will cover all the work of our specialist visit visa solicitors on your ETA application until a decision is made by the Home Office UKVI on your UK ETA application. The casework to be carried out by our visit visa solicitors in relation to your ETA application will entail the following:

• Advice on requirements: Our visit visa solicitors will advise you on the relevant requirements you have to meet for your ETA application to be successful.
• Advice on documents: Our visit visa lawyers will prepare and email you a comprehensive list of supporting documents to be submitted in support of your ETA application;
• Assessment of documents: Our visit visa lawyers will assess your documents to make sure that all the documents you provide in support of your ETA application are in accordance with the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
• Completing application form: Our visit visa solicitors will complete the relevant application form for your ETA application and submit your application online in line with requirements of the Home Office UKVI.
• Follow up work: Our immigration lawyers will carry out all the follow up work until decision by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) on the entry clearance application.

Our Fixed Fees For An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) UK

• Our visit visa solicitors will charge a fixed fee ranging from £400 to £800 (no VAT) for your UK Electronic Travel Authorisation application. The agreed fixed will depend on the complexity of the application and the volume of work involved in the ETA application. You can get a fixed fee quote online for your ETA application.

Other Related Pages

• Visit Visa UK
• How To Challenge UK Visa Refusal?
• UK amends visa waiver plans for non-Irish EU citizens crossing Border

FAQs - Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) UK