UK ETA 2026: All the Latest Updates and Changes

Policy, application and refusal guidance checked against GOV.UK on 14 October 2026. This independent guide does not process applications or promise approval.

What changed in 2026?

The Home Office enforcement announcement identifies 25 February 2026 as the enforcement date for permission-to-travel requirements. Enforcement is not the same as saying that every eligible nationality first joined the scheme in 2026.

For an individual journey, use GOV.UK's visa and ETA checker. Passport nationality, purpose and existing permission matter. Do not rely on a fixed country count or a blanket instruction that every non-visa traveller must buy an ETA.

Current fee and official application routes

The official application page lists a £20 application fee. It is not refundable after application. The existing official app and online route are available; this is not a newly announced future app launch.

Prepare the application passport, email address, payment method and required photos. Follow the form's actual instructions, not an invented shorter-form announcement or a universal flight-number and hotel-address checklist.

Processing time: working days, not a guaranteed 72 hours

GOV.UK says decisions usually arrive by email within a day but can take up to three working days. Wait for the email confirming permission before travelling. Check junk folders and follow official UKVI help if no decision arrives after three working days.

A weekend or public holiday makes working days different from calendar hours. There is no basis in the reviewed guidance for a special 30-minute frequent-traveller service. Applying through another website or app cannot obtain a faster decision.

Apply while there is room to change plans. Do not treat a quick result for a friend, a previous visa or a payment receipt as proof of your own approval.

Exemptions, children and dual nationals

GOV.UK's exemption list includes British and Irish citizens and people with relevant UK immigration permission. British or Irish dual citizens cannot get an ETA; check the official documents they can use instead.

The Irish-residence exemption depends on nationality and the route from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, with specified evidence requirements. It is not an exemption for every traveller who passes through Ireland.

Where an ETA is required, each traveller needs their own, including children. Check each person's circumstances; a parent's permission does not cover the family.

Transit is a separate route check

A connection without UK border control is exempt from ETA. That exemption does not answer whether a transit visa is required. If the connection crosses border control, check the relevant ETA, visa or exemption and confirm the route with the airline.

Illustrative example, not a reported case: a traveller collecting luggage after immigration checks landside permission. Another whose airline confirms an airside route checks the separate transit-visa question. Terminal names and layover duration alone do not settle the requirement.

Permitted activities and validity

Official activity guidance covers eligible visits for tourism, family, business and short study, usually up to six months. Specific routes, including permitted paid engagements and the Creative Worker concession, have their own conditions. Do not infer a general right to take paid work or a course-related work placement.

An ETA normally lasts two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. That validity is not permission to stay for two years. A replacement passport requires a new ETA. Approval does not guarantee admission.

If an application is rejected or refused

Read the decision notice. A rejected application and a suitability refusal should not be treated as the same problem. Follow the applicable official next step rather than repeatedly submitting an unchanged application.

The Home Office caseworker guidance says there is no right to administrative review or appeal against an ETA application decision. Do not confuse this with a data-protection review of a fully automated grant.

If refused and still planning to travel, check the appropriate visa route. A visa is a separate assessment, not guaranteed permission or a guaranteed three-week solution. Seek qualified advice if you need an individual legal assessment.

Key takeaways

• Use the current official checker and exemption guidance, not an old rollout forecast.
• The application fee is £20; the official app and website already operate.
• Allow working days and wait for approval; there is no supported 30-minute fast-track claim.
• Airside ETA exemption and transit-visa requirements are separate.
• ETA refusal does not carry the administrative-review right previously claimed here.

See our application guide and transit guide. This is general information; check current official guidance for your own journey.