ETA is an electronic travel authorisation which is applied before you travel to the UK. The purpose of an ETA is to give you permission to enter the UK.
ETA itself is not a visa. If you travel to the UK using an ETA, you will still need to seek a visitor visa on-arrival to the UK.
ETA will replace the single-use Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW). ETA is multi-use, allowing multiple trips during its two-year validity.
ETA is only required for anyone who is allowed to travel to the UK as a visitor without having to apply for a Visitor Visa before travelling. If you hold a passport for a country which is NOT on this list then you will need ETA in due course.
Nationals from countries on this list will continue to apply for Standard Visitor Visa in advance of travelling to the UK and will not need to apply for an ETA.
If you already have a current valid visa (for example Student Route visa,PBS Dependant visa, long term multi-entry Standard Visitor visa),you may not require ETA. If you hold a longterm multi-entry Standard Visitor visa, you can continue to use this to enter the UK until that visa expires.
ETA must be applied and granted prior to travelling to the UK; you cannot apply at the border. Airlines may check that you have a valid ETA before allowing you to travel to the UK.
Nationalities who need an ETA now
You need an ETA now if you’re travelling to the UK and you’re a national of:
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
More nationalities will require ETA in 2025
More nationalities will require ETA from 2025. Please follow the links below to check when you will require an ETA and when you can apply for it.
Travelling to the UK from 8 January 2025
Nationals from non-EU/EEA countries who don’t usually need to apply for a visa before travelling to the UK as a visitor will require an ETA if travelling to the UK from the 8 January 2025. Applications for ETA can be made from the 27 November 2024. Please see the full list on the UKVI website.
Travelling to the UK from 2 April 2025
Nationals from countries in the EU and EEA will require ETA if travelling to the UK from the 1 April 2025. Applications for ETA can be made from the 5 March 2025. Please see the full list on the UKVI website.
Applications can be made through the mobile app ‘UK ETA’ or through the online form.
You will need a valid passport as part of your application.
The fee for an ETA application is £10
Some applications may be granted within an hour based on confirmed screening. Other applications should usually be resolved within three working days but may take longer if further checks are needed. We advise applying well in advance of intended travel.
You can apply for ETA anytime before your travel, as long as the ETA is valid for the date you intend to enter the UK.
Once ETA is granted, the permission is linked to the passport you used for the ETA application.
If you are refused an ETA, you have not been refused permission to enter the UK and can still make a Standard Visitor Visa application for the UK.
Your ETA is granted via email and is linked to the passport you used to apply.
ETA is granted for two years from the date of grant or until the expiry of your passport used in the ETA application, whichever is sooner. You can make multiple trips to the UK during the validity of your ETA.
If you change your passport after receiving an ETA, you will need to make a new ETA application using the details of the new passport.
Upon entry to the UK, you will be granted a Standard Visitor Visa on-arrival. Please see our webpage on Standard Visitor Visa for details on the purpose and conditions of this visa.
You can remain in the UK up to a maximum of 180 days upon each entry. You will not be allowed to work during your stay.
If you are studying with us (even on a short programme), we are required to hold proof of your permission to be in the UK, known as your Right to Study. Soon after arrival, you should e-mail your proof of entry (either your most recent flight ticket or border entry stamp) to compliance@newcastle.ac.uk
