The United Kingdom's ETA Costs £20 and Isn't Optional Anymore

The UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a digital pre-travel permission linked to your passport, not a visa and it's been fully enforced since February 25, 2026. No ETA, no boarding , carriers are turning people away, the grace period is gone. It covers short stays up to six months across 85+ visa-exempt nationalities, including the US, Canada, EU states and GCC countries.

The scheme, turns out, just expanded. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man were added to the ETA requirement in April 2026, with applications opening around April 23 , so direct or UK-transit travel to the Crown Dependencies now needs one too. The fee, honestly, crept up to £20 (from £16) and over 24.8 million ETAs had already been issued by end-2025, so the system's well-established.

Who needs one: visa-exempt nationals planning any trip to the UK or Crown Dependencies. British and Irish citizens are exempt, valid UK visa holders are exempt and those with settled or pre-settled status don't need one either. Dual British citizens must travel on a British passport or carry a Certificate of Entitlement , using a foreign passport won't cut it and that catches people off guard more than you'd think.

For digital nomads, this doesn't open any new doors. The ETA still caps stays at six months, there's no dedicated nomad visa, so frequent visitors are stacking multiple ETAs over time, each valid for two years or until passport expiry with multiple entries. Plan accordingly.

To apply:

• Download the UK ETA app (iOS or Android) or go through gov.uk
• Scan your passport chip, upload a photo, answer suitability questions, pay £20
• Decisions usually come in minutes, allow up to three days to be safe
• Travel on the same passport you used to apply , mismatches cause problems at the gate

Check your ETA status on gov.uk before every trip, especially after renewing your passport. The ETA doesn't transfer, it's tied to the document, so a new passport means a new application. That's a £20 lesson you don't want to learn at the departure gate.

Read our full United Kingdom guide for the complete picture on entry rules, visas and the latest nomad news.