Entry rules
United Kingdomentry requirements
U.S. citizens need an approved UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before traveling to the UK. It costs £20, lasts two years, and allows visits of up to six months. Canadian, Australian and EU citizens (except Irish) need one too. Changing planes without passing UK border control is currently exempt.
Checked against official sources Oct 29, 2026 · Sources
Do you need a visa or travel authorization?
| Passport | What you need | Maximum stay |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. citizens | UK ETA required Official fee £20. About UK ETA Required before you travel; airlines check it (strictly enforced since February 25, 2026). Visits of up to 6 months. | 6 months |
| British citizens | Citizen | No limit |
| Canadians | UK ETA required Official fee £20. About UK ETA Required before you travel; airlines check it (strictly enforced since February 25, 2026). Visits of up to 6 months. | 6 months |
| Australians | UK ETA required Official fee £20. About UK ETA Required before you travel; airlines check it (strictly enforced since February 25, 2026). Visits of up to 6 months. | 6 months |
| EU citizens | UK ETA required Official fee £20. About UK ETA EU citizens need an ETA since April 2, 2025, unless they have EU Settlement Scheme status. Bring a passport: national ID cards are accepted only in a few cases (such as EU Settlement Scheme status holders). Different for: IE (free movement). Use the trip check for your country. | 6 months |
Passport rules
Your passport must be valid for your whole stay. Travel on the same passport you used for your ETA.
- EU citizens: A passport valid for your stay; national ID cards only in limited cases (for example EU Settlement Scheme status holders).
- British citizens: Your passport must be valid when you arrive.
Airlines check this at check-in. If your passport is close to the limit, renew it first: see the 6-month passport rule explained.
Changing planes in United Kingdom
- U.S. citizens, Canadians, Australians and EU citizens: Nothing extra if you stay airside. Temporarily exempt from the ETA if you don’t pass UK border control (airside connections are possible only at Heathrow and Manchester). Under review.
- British citizens: Nothing extra if you stay airside.
More: Do I need a transit visa?
Good to know
- You can’t transit airside from the UK to Ireland or elsewhere in the Common Travel Area.
Official links
Watch for look-alike sites. Use only the official addresses above. Sites that “process” your application charge extra for the same official form. How to spot a fake visa site.
Where official sources differ
- Some older GOV.UK news pages still give the ETA fee as £10 or £16; the current ETA page and the April 2026 fee regulation say £20.
- Airside transit: GOV.UK and the August 2026 caseworker guidance give no airport limit for the exemption, while the Home Office factsheet and carrier guide name only Heathrow and Manchester. Australia’s Smartraveller says an ETA is needed to transit without distinguishing airside.
Official sources
- Electronic travel authorisation: caseworker guidance (accessible) - GOV.UK (published for Home Office staff, updated 3 August 2026) ·
The ETA application process opened on 27 November 2024 for all remaining non-visa nationals, except for Europeans, for travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025.
· checked 2026-10-29 - No permission, no travel: UK set to enforce ETA scheme - GOV.UK (24 November 2025) ·
Visitors from 85 nationalities, including the United States, Canada, and France, who do not need a visa will not be able to legally travel to the UK without an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from 25 February 2026.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA): What you can and cannot do with an ETA - GOV.UK ·
come to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, on a business trip or for short-term study
· checked 2026-10-29 - Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA): When you do not need an ETA - GOV.UK ·
you’re a British or Irish citizen
· checked 2026-10-29 - Travel advice and advisories for the United Kingdom - travel.gc.ca (last updated 26 May 2026) ·
You need to apply for an ETA before travelling to the UK. You must travel on the passport used for your ETA application.
· checked 2026-10-29 - United Kingdom Travel Advice & Safety - Smartraveller (updated 11 September 2026) ·
If you plan to visit the UK for less than 6 months as a tourist or to transit, you will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
· checked 2026-10-29 - Visiting the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen - GOV.UK (updated 15 May 2026) ·
Citizens of other EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein can travel to the UK for holidays or short trips with an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) instead of a visa.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor - GOV.UK ·
You must have a passport or travel document to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Charging procedures: a guide for carriers (accessible) - GOV.UK ·
have a confirmed onward booking, to a destination outside the United Kingdom before 23.59 hours the same day from the same airport – i.e. Heathrow, or Manchester
· checked 2026-10-29 - Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK: Overview - GOV.UK ·
An ETA costs £20.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA): Apply for an ETA - GOV.UK ·
It costs £20 to apply online or through the UK ETA app. You cannot get a refund after you apply.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) factsheet - April 2026 - Home Office in the media (GOV.UK blog) ·
An ETA currently costs £20 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.
· checked 2026-10-29 - The Immigration, Nationality and Passports (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/311) - legislation.gov.uk ·
Except as specified in paragraphs (3) and (4), these Regulations come into force at 9.00 a.m. on 8th April 2026.
· checked 2026-10-29
If an official page says something different from this page, the official page is right. Tell us and we’ll fix it.
Get an email when these rules change
Only when an official entry rule we track changes: a new travel authorization, a fee, a start date or a passport rule. At most once a week, with the official source for every change.