As the UK continues to aim to streamline border security and entry processes, two electronic travel authorisations are emerging in importance – the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
An ETA is a digital permission that authorises a non-visa national to travel to the UK for a short stay.
If you’re not a British citizen and are visiting the UK for up to six months, you’ll probably need an ETA. The ETA is necessary for those who don’t have a visa and don’t have immigration status.
An ETA allows the UK immigration system to complete pre-arrival clearance for visa-exempt travellers into the country
An ETA allows for various purposes, including visiting the UK for up to three months on a Creative Worker visa, visiting for up to six months for various tourism reasons, or travelling through a UK airport if you will pass through border control.
Visit GOV.UK for more information
An ETA application costs £16, and will be required for every individual travelling, including children.
Your eligibility for an ETA depends on your nationality as shown on your passport.
GOV.UK shares a list of nationalities from locations that can apply for an ETA now.
The ETIAS is a system that authorises nationals of visa-exempt countries to travel to the UK and 29 other European countries, for short stays of up to 90 days. This will be linked to an individual’s passport, and will be valid for up to three years or until the passport expires – whichever comes first.
The ETIAS system will begin in Q4 of 2026.
The ETIAS is for citizens of countries outside the EU that don’t require a visa for short visits – for example, travellers from the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia.
Please note – the ETIAS will not function as a visa, it is simply a pre-security travel clearance system.
Check which countries require ETIAS travel authorisation
The ETIAS will impact immigration in a similar way to the ETA, by encouraging pre-travel security clearance and increasing operational efficiency of border management, but will cover a larger scope of countries.
Visit the ETIAS website for more information.
If you’re travelling to any of these 30 European countries and are visa-exempt, you will require a valid ETIAS travel authorisation before visiting.
If you’re a national of any of these visa-exempt countries or territories, you’ll require ETIAS travel authorisation.
Applying for the ETIAS travel authorisation costs €7, but will be free for young people below the age of 18 and elderly people above 70 years of age.
Both ETAs and the ETIAS aim to streamline authorisation of travellers before entering a country, and serve similar purposes to do so.
This being said, there are some strong differences between the two:
| ETA | ETIAS |
|---|---|
| The ETA is required for those travelling to the UK as Visitors or under the Creative Work visa. | The ETIAS is required for travellers to 30 European countries. |
| The ETA is currently being rolled out from 2nd April 2025. | The ETIAS is scheduled to launch in Q4 of 2026. |
| The ETA application fee is £16. | The ETIAS application fee is €7. |
| The ETA is valid for two years. | The ETIAS is valid for three years, or until the traveller's passport expires. |
| The UK ETA adheres to expanded immigration rules, including criminal convictions, deception or previous visa refusals. | The ETIAS conducts automated checks against security databases, however grounds for refusal are less rigid. |
A refusal of an ETA or ETIAS application doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be refused entry to the UK:
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