Destination — completed
Category — completed
Passport — completed
Checklist

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Open Government Licence v3.0 — read the licenceContains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: GOV.UK.

The eligibility criteria, steps, information you'll need to apply, required documents, fees/timing, and glossary source links below are drawn from official government sources, reproduced under the licence(s) above. Vibistic's own commentary — the scope note, freshness notes, and "what changed" entries — is separate and not government content.

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Destination: United Kingdom
Category: Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Passport: United States

This is the checklist for the scenario you selected, not a personalized assessment — general information, not immigration advice.

Vibistic last checked the official guidance behind this checklist on 2026-08-02.

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Preparing for: Me

Each traveler's checked steps and document readiness are tracked separately here to help you prepare. Depending on official guidance, each traveler may need a separate application, fee, appointment, or evidence — check the relevant official guidance for each person. Tracking preparation here does not change how any application is actually handled.

Print blank checklist

"Print or save as PDF" includes your current checked-off progress. "Print blank checklist" opens a copy with nothing checked, for sharing. Check "Print all travelers" above (when tracking more than one) to include everyone in either option.

Fee and timing

Official application fee: £20 — Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Source: Eta· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-07-26 · Check the live official figure

Earliest you can apply: No published minimum notice period.
Published decision time: Usually within a day; allow up to 3 working days

Source: Eta· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-07-26 · Check the live official figure

Report a problem with this fee/timing information

Information you'll need to apply

A worksheet for what the official online application is likely to ask for, so you can have it ready before you start — this isn't the application form itself, and nothing you note here is saved or sent anywhere.

You'll be asked for this

The passport you will travel with
An email address to receive your decision
A credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay to pay the fee

Source: Eta · Open Government Licence v3.0

Documents to prepare

0 of 5 preparation items resolved

Documents: 0/2 · Application steps: 0/3

Required
1. The passport you will travel withRequired
  Your ETA is linked digitally to this passport — there is no separate document or stamp.
  Form: Original document · Stage: ETA application (app or online)
  Details
  Use the passport you actually intend to travel on; the ETA app or online form scans or reads its details.
  the passport you'll travel with · Report a problem
2. A photo of your faceRequired
  Used to verify your identity as part of the ETA application.
  Form: Digital image · Stage: ETA application (app or online)
  Details
  Taken with your phone's camera in the UK ETA app, or uploaded following the official digital photo rules if applying online instead.
  upload or take photos of the face of the person applying · Report a problem

Your application checklist

Apply for your ETA
Costs £20. Apply via the UK ETA app or online — you'll need your passport, a photo of your face, an email address, and a payment method.
Go →
Report a problem
Wait for your decision
You'll usually get a decision by email within a day, though it can take up to 3 working days.
Report a problem
Travel with the same passport
Your ETA is linked to the passport you applied with — you only need to show that passport when you travel.
Report a problem

Eligibility context

Do you need an ETA?

Yes. US passport holders usually need an ETA rather than a visa to visit the UK — it's a separate, lighter-weight authorisation, not a Standard Visitor visa.

Source: Eta · Open Government Licence v3.0

Who doesn't need this

You don't need an ETA if you have a British or Irish passport — including as a dual citizen, in which case you travel on that passport instead, since you cannot get an ETA at all while holding British or Irish citizenship — a British Overseas Territories or British National (Overseas) passport, an existing UK visa, or existing permission to live, work, or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status). The same applies if you already have permission to live, work, or study in Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man; if you're transiting through a UK airport without passing through border control; if you live in Ireland and are travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, or the Isle of Man; if you're a child travelling on an approved France-UK school trip travel information form; if you're awaiting a decision on an EU Settlement Scheme application; or if you're otherwise exempt from immigration control.

Source: Eta · Open Government Licence v3.0

What this covers

Tourism, visiting family, business visits, short-term study, certain permitted paid engagements, and transit, for up to 6 months. No paid or unpaid work beyond a permitted paid engagement or the Creative Worker visa concession, no claiming public funds, no living in the UK long-term via repeat visits, no marriage or civil partnership without a Marriage Visitor visa.

Source: Eta · Open Government Licence v3.0

An ETA is not a guarantee of entry

Getting an ETA doesn't guarantee you'll be allowed into the UK — that decision is made by a border official when you arrive.

Source: Eta · Open Government Licence v3.0

This assumes: a US ordinary passport holder, not a British or Irish citizen and without existing permission to live, work, or study in the UK, seeking an ETA for tourism, family, business, or another ETA-permitted purpose for up to 6 months in the UK. If that doesn't match your situation, some of this may not apply.

This is general information about the UK's published Electronic Travel Authorisation requirements, not individual immigration advice. It doesn't tell you whether you personally qualify — you decide whether to apply.

Glossary

Plain-language explanations of terms you'll see above. These explain what a term means — they don't change what it means, and they're not a personalized assessment of your situation.

Entry clearance: The visa itself — permission to travel to the UK, checked and granted before you arrive.
More detail on Entry clearance
Entry clearance is the process UK Entry Clearance Officers use to check, before someone arrives, whether they meet the Immigration Rules for entry to the UK — it's commonly just called a 'visa'. For visa nationals it's issued as a visa (often an eVisa or vignette sticker); for non-visa nationals it can be issued as an entry certificate instead.
Source: Ecb3 What Is Entry Clearance· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-07-22
Visa national: Someone who must get a visa before travelling to the UK, based on their nationality or travel document.
More detail on Visa national
If your nationality (or certain other criteria, such as the type of travel document you hold) puts you on the UK's Visa National List, you need entry clearance in advance of travel for any purpose — a visa-free or on-arrival route isn't an option for you.
Source: Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor Visa National List· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-07-22
Biometrics: Your fingerprints and a photo of your face, collected as part of your application.
More detail on Biometrics
Biometric information means data about your physical characteristics — for a visa application this means a digital photograph of your face and a scan of your fingerprints. Biometrics are used to confirm your identity and check your application against other records.
Source: Biometric Information Introduction Accessible· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-07-22
Certified translation: An official translation of a document, with written confirmation it's accurate.
More detail on Certified translation
If a supporting document isn't in English or Welsh, you need a full translation the Home Office can independently verify. The translator (or translation company) must confirm in writing that it's a true and accurate translation of the original document.
Source: Guide To Supporting Documents Visiting The Uk· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-07-22
Public funds: Certain UK state benefits and housing support — visitors generally can't claim them.
More detail on Public funds
For immigration purposes, 'public funds' is a specific, defined list of benefits and services set out in section 115 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules — things like Universal Credit and Housing Benefit. It doesn't mean everything state-funded: NHS treatment and compulsory-age school education, for example, aren't 'public funds' for this purpose.
Source: Public Funds Accessible· Open Government Licence v3.0 · last verified 2026-07-22

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Fee and timing

Information you'll need to apply

You'll be asked for this

Documents to prepare

Required

Your application checklist