Yes, US citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the United Kingdom, even for a weekend in London or a short business trip. It has been required for Americans since January 8, 2025, and since February 25, 2026 the UK strictly enforces it: airlines check for an ETA before you board, and they can refuse to let you fly without one. You apply on your phone through the official UK ETA app or on GOV.UK, and most people get an answer quickly. Here is what to know before you book.
The short version
- Who: US passport holders visiting the UK for up to six months. British and Irish citizens, including dual citizens, do not need one.
- Where: the official UK ETA app or GOV.UK. Nowhere else.
- How long it lasts: two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, for as many trips as you like.
- When to apply: at least three working days before you travel, even though most decisions arrive much sooner.
- Cost: there is a fee, it is not refundable, and it has changed more than once since launch. Check the current amount on GOV.UK.
When it started, and what changed in 2026
The UK opened ETA applications to non-European visitors, Americans included, on November 27, 2024, and required one for travel from January 8, 2025. For the first year the rule was not strictly enforced. That ended on February 25, 2026, when the Home Office moved to what it calls "no permission, no travel": airlines and other carriers now check that each visitor has an ETA, an eVisa or other valid permission before boarding. If you last visited the UK before 2025, this is the step most likely to catch you out.
An ETA is not a visa, and it does not guarantee entry. A Border Force officer still decides at the border whether to admit you, just as before.
Who needs a UK ETA
You need one if you are a US citizen traveling on a US passport and you plan to visit the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to six months. That covers tourism, visiting family or friends, a business trip, short-term study and a permitted paid engagement. Every traveler needs their own ETA, including babies and children, and a parent can apply on a child's behalf.
You do not need one if you:
- are a British or Irish citizen, including a dual US-British or US-Irish citizen;
- already hold a UK visa or permission to live, work or study in the UK;
- are transiting airside without passing through UK border control (see the transit section below);
- live legally in Ireland and are traveling to the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, with an approved Irish residence document if you are 16 or older.
Dual US-British citizens cannot get an ETA at all. GOV.UK says you must prove your British citizenship instead, normally with a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement in your US passport. Airlines check this at the gate, so do not plan to travel on your US passport alone.
How to apply, step by step
- Use the official channel. Download the UK ETA app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, or start from the ETA page on GOV.UK. Many private websites look official and charge extra. The government warns about them, and it does not need a middleman.
- Have the right passport in hand. Apply with the passport you will travel on. The ETA is linked electronically to that passport, and you only show the passport when you fly.
- Scan your passport and face. In the app, your phone's camera reads the passport chip and takes a photo of your face. If you cannot use the app, apply online and upload a passport photo and a face photo that meet the digital photo rules.
- Answer the questions. You give contact details and answer questions about criminal convictions and past immigration problems. Answer them honestly.
- Pay. GOV.UK accepts a credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The fee is not refunded once you apply.
- Watch your email. You will usually hear within a day, and the Home Office says many decisions come within minutes. It can take up to three working days, so check your spam folder before chasing it.
You can apply for someone else in the app only if they are with you. For a family member who is not with you, use the online form.
How long a UK ETA lasts
An ETA lasts two years or until the passport you applied with expires, whichever is sooner. During that time you can make as many visits as you like, each one up to six months. GOV.UK has a check service that shows whether you hold an ETA and when it expires.
Because the ETA is tied to one passport, a new passport means a new ETA application before your next trip. This trips up people who renew a passport a few months before a London trip. If your passport is getting close to its expiry date, renew it first and apply for the ETA second. Our passport validity guide covers the date checks for other countries on the same trip.
Connecting through Heathrow or Manchester
This is the rule most US travelers ask about, because so many trips to Europe, Africa and the Middle East connect in London.
As of November 2026, GOV.UK says you do not need an ETA if you transit airside, meaning you stay in the international transfer area and never pass through UK border control. The Home Office ETA factsheet of April 2026 names Heathrow and Manchester as the airports where this applies, and it describes the exemption as current, not permanent. So a trip such as New York to Rome with a same-ticket connection at Heathrow, staying airside, does not need one today.
You do need an ETA when your connection takes you through passport control. That happens if you:
- change airports, for example landing at Heathrow and leaving from Gatwick or Stansted;
- booked two separate tickets and must collect and recheck your bags;
- connect at a UK airport that has no airside transfer for your flights;
- leave the airport during a long layover, even for a few hours.
The transit exemption could be withdrawn, and an ETA covers transit too. If your itinerary is anything other than a simple same-ticket connection at Heathrow or Manchester, apply for the ETA. When in doubt, GOV.UK's own advice is to check with your airline.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Paying a lookalike site. Search results and ads lead to agencies that charge a service fee on top of the government fee. Start from GOV.UK or the official app.
- Applying with an old passport. If you renew, the ETA does not carry over. Apply again with the new passport.
- Forgetting the children. Each traveler needs one, including infants.
- Leaving it until the airport. Most decisions are fast, but some need further review. Apply when you book, not when you pack.
- Assuming Ireland is a back door. A US visitor who is not a legal resident of Ireland still needs an ETA to continue from Dublin to the UK, including over the land border into Northern Ireland.
- Mixing it up with Europe's systems. The UK ETA is separate from the EU's Entry/Exit System and ETIAS. Read our EES and ETIAS guide if your trip continues to France, Spain or elsewhere in Europe.
What an ETA does not let you do
An ETA is for visits. It does not let you work for a UK company, live in the UK through back-to-back visits, claim benefits, or marry or register a civil partnership there. If you have a criminal record or have been refused entry to the UK before, GOV.UK suggests applying for a Standard Visitor visa instead. If an ETA is refused, you cannot appeal; you apply for a visa.
Before you book
Get the ETA sorted, then compare flights. Our route guides include New York to London Heathrow and Boston to Manchester, and our London destination page covers the city's airports. Some routes are nonstop and others connect, and schedules change by season, so check with the airline for your dates.
