UK ETA

UK Visas and Immigration

About this app

Use the UK ETA app to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to come to the UK.

Who can apply
Find out if you need an ETA to travel to the UK at: https://www.gov.uk/electronic-travel-authorisation.

How to apply on the UK ETA app
1. Take a photo of your passport.
2. Scan the chip in your passport.
3. Scan your face.
4. Take a photo of yourself.
5. Answer some questions about yourself.
6. Pay for your application.

It should only take 10 minutes to apply.

You do not need to enter your travel details.

Before you start

To apply you will need:
• Android 12 and above
• NFC (Near-Field Communication) so the app can scan your passport – if you can use your phone to pay for things using contactless, this means it has NFC
• the passport you will use to travel to the UK
• a credit card, debit card or Apple Pay
• access to your emails

If you're applying for someone else they must be with you. If they are not, you should apply online at: https://www.gov.uk/electronic-travel-authorisation.

If you need to travel soon
You must apply for an ETA before you travel to the UK. You can travel to the UK while waiting for a decision.

After you apply
You'll usually get a decision within 3 working days, but you may get a quicker decision. Occasionally, it may take longer than 3 working days.
If your ETA is approved, we'll link this to the passport you applied with. You must use this passport to travel to the UK.

Privacy and security
The app is safe and secure. No information is stored on the app or your phone after you close it. You can delete the app after you have completed your application.

For information on staying safe online visit the UK Cyber Aware website: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home

Accessibility
You can read our accessibility statement at: https://confirm-your-identity.homeoffice.gov.uk/register/eta-app-accessibility

Ratings and reviews

The app worked well until I got to the screen to take my photo. They placed the button to take the photo under the Android button that minimizes all apps. I had to try more than 5 times before I was able to get it to take a photo instead of minimizing the app. I had to touch a very small area at the top of the button to make it work. After that, the process was easy.

Very easy to use but it did time out once in under 30 minutes when I had to set it aside for a few minutes before taking my photo in the app. As someone else mentioned the shutter button of the camera is right under the home icon on a Samsung but I was still able to press it to take my photo. Overall it worked very smoothly and I was able to get approval quickly.

Meh, it's fine. Took like 5 min total. For the passport scan, instead of setting the phone on the back page of the passport, start the scan, then slowly lower the phone onto the back page, and when the phone vibrates, stop moving. That worked for me. Otherwise only annoyances were the picture button was nearly on top of the home button, and it would not accept my proton email address, had to use gmail.

What’s new

Performance improvements