UK ETA for U.S. Citizens: Cost, How to Apply and Who Needs One

For decades, an American flying to London needed exactly one document: a valid passport. You landed, joined the line or used an eGate, and that was it. That changed step by step from January 2025, and since February 25, 2026, the UK has enforced the rule strictly. Airlines now check before you board.

The new requirement is called an Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA. It is not a visa, it is not hard to get, and for most people it takes a few minutes on a phone. But it does have a fee, a few traps and some rules that catch travelers off guard, especially families, cruise passengers and anyone connecting through Heathrow. Here is how it works for U.S. passport holders, as of November 9, 2026.

What Exactly Is the UK ETA?

The ETA is a digital permission to travel that is linked to your passport. The UK government describes it as a permission to travel, not a permission to enter: a Border Force officer can still question you on arrival, and the ETA does not guarantee entry.

It covers short visits to the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) as well as Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. With an approved ETA you can visit for tourism, to see family or friends, for business meetings and conferences, or for short courses of study, for up to six months per visit.

If you know the U.S. ESTA, the idea is the same, only in the other direction. The UK says its ETA is in line with the American ESTA and with the EU's coming ETIAS.

Do U.S. Citizens Really Need One?

Yes. The United States is one of the roughly 85 nationalities that are legally required to hold an ETA when they travel to the UK without a visa. The U.S. Embassy in London confirmed that from February 25, 2026, U.S. citizens traveling to the UK for tourism, family visits, business meetings, conferences or short study of six months or less need an ETA before travel, and that travelers without one can be denied boarding.

A few groups are exempt:

• Dual U.S. and British (or Irish) citizens. You cannot get an ETA at all. You must travel on a valid British or Irish passport, or carry a certificate of entitlement in your U.S. passport. This is the rule that surprises the most people, so check it early if you have a British parent.
• People who already have UK permission to live, work or study, for example a UK visa or eVisa.
• Some legal residents of Ireland who travel within the Common Travel Area and can show proof of residency.

Everyone else needs their own ETA. That includes babies and children, and it includes people arriving from Ireland: even though there are no routine passport checks on the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the ETA requirement still applies.

How Much Does It Cost, and How Long Does It Last?

The fee has risen twice since launch. It started at £10, went to £16 in 2025 and has been £20 since April 8, 2026, which is about $27 in 2026.

Because the ETA is tied to one passport, renewing your passport means applying for a new ETA. If your passport expires in eight months, the ETA expires with it.

How Do You Apply?

The simplest route is the official UK ETA app for iPhone and Android. You can also apply on GOV.UK. You need:

1. The passport you will travel with
2. An email address
3. A credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
4. A photo of your passport and a photo of your face, which the app takes for you

You then answer questions about criminal convictions and your immigration history. One adult can apply on behalf of the whole family, but each person gets a separate application and a separate decision, so do not assume that your children are approved just because you are.

The approval arrives by email with a 16-digit reference number. You do not need to print anything. At check-in, the airline sees the ETA through your passport.

How Early Should You Apply?

Most applicants get an automatic decision within minutes, according to the Home Office. The official advice is still to apply at least three working days before you travel, because a small share of applications go to manual review. If you get no answer after three working days, check your spam folder before contacting UK Visas and Immigration.

We would go further: apply as soon as your flights are booked. The fee is the same, the ETA lasts two years, and it removes one thing to worry about in the days before departure.

Do You Need an ETA for a Layover in London?

It depends on whether you pass through UK border control.

• Airside transit at Heathrow or Manchester: if you stay inside the international transit area and do not go through passport control, you currently do not need an ETA, according to the Home Office.
• Landside transit: if you collect bags, change airports (for example from Heathrow to Gatwick), leave the airport or connect at an airport without an airside transit area, you go through border control and need an ETA.

If your itinerary is on separate tickets, assume you will need to go landside. When in doubt, the GOV.UK advice is to check with your airline. For £20, many frequent flyers simply get one anyway.

Mistakes That Cost Americans Time and Money

Using a lookalike website. Search results are full of agencies that charge far more than £20 for the same application. The UK government warns that other websites may charge more and that you cannot get a faster decision through a third party. Use the app or GOV.UK only.

Applying with the wrong passport. You must travel on the same passport you used for the application. Dual nationals of other countries should pick one passport and stick with it.

Forgetting about cruises. A transatlantic crossing that ends in Southampton, or a British Isles cruise, counts as travel to the UK. Cruise lines check ETAs just like airlines.

Mixing it up with Europe. The ETA covers only the UK and the Crown Dependencies. It has nothing to do with the EU's Entry/Exit System or the planned ETIAS, which according to the official EU site was not yet in operation as of November 2026. A London and Paris trip needs the UK ETA for the London part, while France follows the Schengen rules.

Before You Go

Apply in the app the day you book, for every traveler, using the passports you will actually carry. Keep the confirmation email until you have boarded. Then spend the energy on the fun part: an afternoon at Borough Market (see our guide to Europe's great food markets), card payments that work almost everywhere (read whether to pay in pounds or dollars), and perhaps a look at whether you need travel insurance for Europe. More entry rules are collected on our Visas & Entry page.