The short version
- Americans need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK. It is not a visa.
- It costs £20 on GOV.UK, read on 12 October 2026. It lasts 2 years, or until your passport expires if that comes first.
- Each visit can last up to 6 months. You cannot work or live in the UK on it.
- Apply on GOV.UK or in the UK ETA app. A decision usually comes within a day, and can take up to 3 working days.
Do US citizens need an ETA to visit the UK?
Yes. A US citizen needs an ETA before they travel to the UK, unless they also hold a British or Irish passport. GOV.UK says you usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you are from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries. The UK's Immigration Rules list the United States by name on the ETA national list.
An ETA is not a visa. It is a permission to travel that is linked to your passport. When you travel, you only show that passport.
One ETA covers the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It does not mean you will be let in. A border officer still decides when you arrive.
Each person needs their own ETA, babies and children too. You can apply for the other people in your family or group.
How much does the UK ETA cost?
£20 per person, read on GOV.UK on 12 October 2026. That is the price online and in the UK ETA app. Prices can change, so look at the GOV.UK ETA page before you pay.
| What | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| Cost | £20 per person |
| How long it lasts | 2 years, or until the passport expires |
| Each visit | Up to 6 months |
| Decision | Usually within a day |
| Refund | None once you apply |
Three more points from GOV.UK on paying:
- No refund. If you are refused, or need to change a detail, you have to apply again.
- Other websites may charge more. GOV.UK warns about sites that copy the look of government services. Using one does not get you a faster decision.
- How to pay. A credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
How long is a UK ETA valid?
Two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You can travel to the UK as many times as you like in that time.
The ETA is linked to the passport you applied with, so it ends when that passport ends. If your passport expires in 8 months, so does your ETA.
The 2 years is how long the permission lasts. It is not how long you can stay. Each visit can last up to 6 months, and you cannot live in the UK through visit after visit. You can check online whether you have an ETA and when it runs out.
How do you apply for a UK ETA?
Online on GOV.UK, or in the UK ETA app for iPhone and Android. Both cost £20. You need:
- the passport you will travel with
- an email address
- a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
- a photo of the face of the person applying, taken to the GOV.UK photo rules
The app uses your phone's camera to scan the passport and the face. Online, you upload a photo of each. A photo that breaks the rules can delay the application or get it rejected.
You can apply for someone else in the app if they are with you. If they are not, apply for them online. The GOV.UK apply page has the steps and the app links.
One simple setup is to apply once your trip is booked, so the answer is in well before you fly. You must not travel until the email confirming your ETA has arrived.
How long does a UK ETA take to approve?
Usually less than a day. GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision by email within a day, and it can take up to 3 working days.
The email has your 16-digit ETA reference number. If nothing has come after 3 working days, check your spam folder first, then contact UK Visas and Immigration. People in the same group can get their decisions at different times. UKVI does not take ETA questions by phone, but it runs a webchat.
If you have a criminal record, or were refused entry to the UK before, GOV.UK says you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead of an ETA.
What can you do in the UK on an ETA?
Visit for up to 6 months at a time. The GOV.UK list says an ETA lets you:
- come for tourism, or to see family and friends
- come on a business trip or for short-term study
- come for up to 3 months under the Creative Worker visa concession
- do a permitted paid engagement
- pass through a UK airport when you go through border control
It does not let you:
- stay longer than 6 months
- do paid or unpaid work for a UK company, or work for yourself, apart from the cases above
- claim public funds (benefits)
- live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits
- marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of one (that needs a Marriage Visitor visa)
Who does not need a UK ETA?
British and Irish citizens, and people who already have permission to be in the UK. GOV.UK's list includes:
- British or Irish citizens
- people with a UK visa, or permission to live, work or study in the UK
- people changing planes without passing through UK border control (airside)
- people who live in Ireland and travel from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
Three points matter for Americans. A dual citizen who is also British or Irish cannot get an ETA, and travels on the British or Irish passport instead. If you have an Irish-born parent or grandparent, read about Irish citizenship by descent.
The Ireland rule is about where you live, not your passport. An American on holiday in Dublin who does not live in Ireland still needs an ETA to go on to the UK.
And a green card does not change any of this. GOV.UK says what you need depends on your nationality and why you are coming.
Does the UK ETA cover Europe or Ireland?
No. The ETA is only for the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
- The Schengen area. The UK is not in Schengen. Days in the UK do not use the 90 days Americans get there, and an ETA does not let you into Schengen. See how long Americans can stay in Europe.
- ETIAS. The EU plans its own travel authorisation, called ETIAS. It is a separate system. The EU's official site said on 12 October 2026 that ETIAS is not in operation and takes no applications yet.
- Ireland. Ireland sets its own rules. US citizens need no visa for a visit of less than 90 days. The border officer sets the date you must leave, up to 3 months.
What if you want to stay longer than 6 months?
Then an ETA is the wrong document. Under the UK's visitor rules, anyone coming as a visitor for more than 6 months needs a visa before they travel, whatever their passport. Coming to work is not covered by an ETA either. The GOV.UK visa checker shows which visa fits your reason.
To see where else a US passport goes without a visa, open the US passport page. To compare it with another passport, use the passport tool.