Checked to flyChecked 2 September 2026
United States passport · travel to the United Kingdom

UK ETA

Britain now screens Americans before they fly. The authorisation is cheap and usually instant, but it is easy to miss that every passenger needs one, including a sleeping infant.

Tourist visitETA required, £20
Stay allowedUp to 6 months

The numbers

Published by the Home Office on the GOV.UK application page.

Fee£20

Raised from £16 on 8 April 2026. The price is the same in the app and on the website.

Authorisation lasts2 years

Or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

Visits allowedUnlimited

Each visit can be up to six months. There is no cap on the number of trips.

Usual decisionMinutes

The Home Office asks you to allow up to three working days.

Who needs one

The answer that catches people is the second row.

An adult American flying to London for a week

ETA required

Yes. US citizens are inside the ETA scheme. You cannot board without one.

A six month old baby on a parent's lap

ETA required

Yes, and at the full £20. GOV.UK states that every person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children. The child also needs their own passport.

Changing planes at Heathrow and passing through border control

ETA required

Yes. If you cross the UK border before continuing, you need an ETA even though Britain is not your destination.

A British or Irish citizen, or someone with a UK visa

No ETA

No. An ETA is for people who do not already hold a visa or another form of UK permission.

Where to apply

There are exactly two official routes and both cost the same.

gov.uk/eta/applyOfficial website
UK ETA appOfficial app

GOV.UK carries its own warning about the alternative: other websites may charge more to apply, and it tells travellers to avoid websites that imitate government services. That warning exists because those sites are numerous and rank well.

The app is the faster route because it reads the chip in your passport and takes the photograph for you. The website asks you to do both by hand. Neither is cheaper.

How to apply

Most people finish this in under ten minutes.

  1. Download the UK ETA app, or open the application page on GOV.UK.
  2. Scan the photo page of your passport, or type the details in on the website.
  3. Take a photograph of your face when the app asks for one.
  4. Answer the suitability questions about criminal convictions and previous immigration refusals.
  5. Pay £20 by card. Each traveller is a separate application and a separate payment.
  6. Wait for the email. Most arrive within minutes, but allow three working days before you fly.

What goes wrong

Three failures, and the first one is the expensive one.

  • Forgetting the children. This is the single most common error. The fee applies per person with no family rate and no infant exemption, so a family of four pays £80.
  • Assuming a transit is exempt. If you pass through UK border control between flights you need an ETA. Staying strictly airside at some airports does not, but the moment your route puts you through the border, the requirement applies.
  • Applying with the wrong passport. The ETA is tied to the passport used in the application. If you renew your passport, the old ETA does not follow you and you must apply again.

What changed

The scheme reached Americans recently and the price has already moved.

  1. The ETA opens to nationals outside the Gulf states, bringing Americans into the scheme.

  2. The requirement becomes enforceable for European visitors, completing the rollout.

  3. The fee rises from £16 to £20, a 25 percent increase in one step.

PER PERSON

The baby pays full price

GOV.UK is explicit that every person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children. There is no family rate and no infant discount. A family of four pays £80, and the child needs their own passport as well.

Questions

Do US citizens need a UK ETA?

Yes. Americans are inside the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme and need an approved ETA before boarding a flight to the United Kingdom. It replaces nothing you used to need, because Americans previously travelled with no advance permission at all.

How much does a UK ETA cost?

£20. It rose from £16 on 8 April 2026. The fee is the same whether you apply in the official UK ETA app or on GOV.UK, and it is charged per person with no family rate.

How long is a UK ETA valid?

Two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Within that period you can make unlimited visits and stay up to six months on each one.

Do babies need their own UK ETA?

Yes. GOV.UK states that every person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children, and the full £20 applies. The child also needs their own passport.

Do I need an ETA if I am only changing planes?

You need one if you pass through UK border control before continuing your journey. Remaining strictly airside at airports that allow it does not require an ETA, so the answer depends on your specific routing rather than on the airport.

How long does a UK ETA take to arrive?

Most decisions arrive within minutes, but the Home Office asks travellers to allow up to three working days. Apply before you book anything you cannot change.

Sources

Everything above comes from the Home Office application guidance rather than from other guides.

Checked 2 September 2026