UK ETA 2026: Who Needs It, the £20 Fee, and How to Apply

The United Kingdom's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is now a fact of life for most visitors who never used to need a visa. Since 2 April 2025 the requirement has applied to European travellers, completing a rollout that began with Gulf nationals in 2023. If you hold a passport from the USA, the EU, Australia, Canada or one of roughly eighty other visa-exempt countries, you must have an approved ETA linked to your passport before you board a flight, ferry or train to the UK. It is not a visa, but skipping it will stop you at the gate.

Who needs a UK ETA — and who doesn't

GOV.UK is blunt about it: "You usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you're from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries." Every traveller needs their own — there is no family application. Crucially, the ETA also covers travel to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, not just Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Note the transit line carefully. GOV.UK states you need an ETA "if you're passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing your onward journey." Some airside transfers do not require one, but the moment your route takes you through UK immigration — as many long-haul connections do — the ETA applies.

How the ETA differs from a visa

An ETA is a lightweight digital permission, not a visa. You apply online in minutes rather than filling in a lengthy form and attending an appointment. It is digitally linked to your passport, so there is no sticker or stamp to collect. It is far cheaper — £20 against tens or hundreds of pounds for a visitor visa — and it lasts two years across unlimited trips. What it is not is a guarantee: GOV.UK warns that "an ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK." A Border Force officer still makes the final call on arrival.

How to apply, step by step

1. Use the official route only. Apply through the free "UK ETA" app or on the GOV.UK website at gov.uk/eta. Do not pay a third-party "ETA agent" — copycat sites charge a large markup for the same government form and some are outright scams.
2. Have your passport ready. You apply with the passport you will actually travel on; the ETA is tied to that document's chip.
3. Upload a photo of yourself and your passport when prompted, and answer a short set of questions.
4. Pay £20 per applicant by card.
5. Wait for the email. Most decisions land within three working days, but the Home Office advises allowing more time. Apply as soon as your trip is booked, not the night before you fly.

Common mistakes that get people caught out

The errors we see most often: leaving it to the last minute and being told to wait three days; applying on the wrong passport (dual nationals, take care to use the one you'll fly on); assuming children are exempt — they are not; forgetting that a single UK layover with a passport-control transfer needs one; and paying a copycat "visa service" many times the real £20. None of these are complicated, but each can end a trip before it starts.

Why this matters for trekkers heading to Nepal

Plenty of our Everest and Annapurna clients route through London on the way to Kathmandu — Heathrow is one of the busiest long-haul hubs into Nepal. If your itinerary has you clearing UK immigration between flights, even for a few hours, you now need an ETA just like a visitor would. Sort it at the same time you book your international tickets, alongside your Nepal tourist visa, so nothing is left to chance at the airport. For the wider picture on 2026 border changes — the EU's ETIAS, the US ESTA increase and more — see our 2026 entry-rule changes explainer.

Get the paperwork out of the way early and the only thing left to plan is the mountains. When you're ready, our team can help you build a Himalayan itinerary — from a classic Everest Base Camp trek to the Annapurna Circuit — around whatever flights and layovers work for you.

Cover photo: DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ via Pexels (Pexels License).