Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme

At present, nationals of many countries do not need a visa in order to come and visit the UK for up to 6 months.

However, as of 2025 the Home Office will be rolling out the Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme (ETA) for nationals of all of these countries.

The scheme is already in place for some nationalities such as those from Oman and the UAE, but the scheme will be rolled out for all others from January 2025. This will include nationals of the US, Canada, Australia and Brazil for example and then later on in April 2025 for all EU countries (bar Ireland) and Switzerland.

How to apply?

The application will need to be done online prior to travel, costs £10, and should take a few days to be decided unless additional checks are required. If successful it will last for 2 years (or until the passport expiry) but if refused a separate visa (for example a visit visa) application will need to be made.

We have had queries from individuals who have been visiting their spouses/civil partners/partners in the UK and who are now applying for longer term visas and question whether they will also require an ETA. If a spouse/civil partner/unmarried partner visa is successful, then no ETA is required. The same applies for any other type of visa.

How we can help

Our immigration specialist team members are passionate about the law and obtaining the best possible results for their clients

Our team will discuss with you your needs and provide you with a fixed fee tailored to the service with no hidden cost so you know exactly what the cost will be from the outset. To contact our team, click here or call us directly on 0808 166 8831.