UK ETA Rejection Reasons: Understanding Your Decision

An unfamiliar message can be worrying, especially when a flight is close. The useful next step is to preserve the decision email, check what it actually says and identify the official action available for that outcome.

Rejected versus refused

The Home Office ETA factsheet says a rejected applicant is told the reason and can apply again. If an ETA is refused, there is no appeal and the person must apply for a visa if they still wish to seek permission to come to the UK.

Do not guess what a message means

A payment failure, incomplete submission, pending decision and formal refusal are not interchangeable. Check your application record and email before submitting another payment. Do not infer criminality or a passport ban from a private website's code list.

What to keep

• The original email and any application reference.
• The passport details used for the application.
• The exact wording of any error or decision.
• Evidence of payment, without sending full card details to strangers.

Use official contact routes if the instructions are unclear. Never enter passport details into a third-party page merely because it claims to decode an ETA refusal.

Checking an approval is a different task

The GOV.UK ETA check service concerns checking ETA information; it is not a private appeal service or a promise to resolve a pending application. Read our application-status guide for that distinction.

For the decision framework, consult Home Office caseworker guidance. Seek qualified advice where appropriate. This page does not provide an official code dictionary or guarantee a successful new application.