UK ETA Eligible Countries 2026:
All 85 Nationalities [Full List]

85 nationalities require a UK ETA in 2026, including all 27 EU member states, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and most of South America and the Gulf. British and Irish citizens are exempt. Use the search tool at the top of this page to check your specific nationality, or browse our nationality guides by region for detailed country-specific information.

Apply at application-eta.uk. The UK ETA online application takes under 10 minutes: enter your passport details, upload a selfie and a photo of your passport data page, answer 8 suitability questions, and pay. Our team reviews your application before forwarding it to the Home Office. Most approvals arrive by email within hours. For the full step-by-step walkthrough, see our UK ETA application guide.

The UK ETA application form is entirely digital and collects: your full name (exactly as in your passport’s machine-readable zone), nationality, date of birth, passport number and expiry date, residential address, email address, a selfie photo, a photo of your passport data page, and answers to 8 yes/no suitability questions about criminal history, previous immigration issues, and health grounds. There is no paper version — everything is completed online.

The UK government fee is £20 per person (increased from £16 in April 2026). If you apply through application-eta.uk, the total cost — including expert review of your photo and passport details — is €69 (Standard, 48–72h), €119 (Priority, ~24h), or €169 (Dedicated Agent, 1–6h). All prices include the government fee. Veterans, students, and under-18s receive a 10% discount on the handling fee. See our full fees and processing times page.

Most UK ETA applications are processed automatically within a few hours. The official Home Office maximum is 3 working days. Photo non-compliance is the most common cause of delays — our expert review step catches issues before submission, preventing most delays. If you need your ETA urgently, choose the Dedicated Agent plan (1–6 hour processing). For more detail on timelines: how long does a UK ETA take.

Use our UK ETA status check tool with your passport number, nationality, passport expiry date, and date of birth. The tool shows your current UKVI status — Approved, Pending, Under Review, or Refused — in real time. Airlines check your ETA status automatically at check-in when they scan your passport, but verifying through the status tool before you travel to the airport is strongly recommended.

Yes. You can complete a UK ETA application on behalf of a family member, child, or any other person. You use your own email address and payment method, but enter the other person’s passport details, photo, and suitability answers. Each traveller — including infants — needs their own individual ETA linked to their own passport. See our UK ETA for families and children guide for full details on applying for minors.

Yes. South Africa is on the UK ETA eligible countries list. South African passport holders must obtain a UK ETA before travelling to or transiting through the United Kingdom. The ETA costs £20 plus our handling fee, is valid for 2 years, and can be applied for online in approximately 10 minutes.

Yes. Paraguay is included in the UK ETA eligible countries list. Paraguayan passport holders must obtain a UK ETA before travelling to the United Kingdom. The requirement has been in force since January 2025. See our Latin America guide for specific guidance on Paraguay, including travel route information.

Yes. Albanian citizens were added to the UK ETA scheme in April 2025 along with all other EU and EEA nationals. Albanian passport holders must apply for a UK ETA before travelling to the United Kingdom. Albania is an EU accession candidate but is not yet an EU member — Albanian citizens are treated as non-EU nationals for UK entry purposes.

No. Egypt is not currently on the UK ETA eligible countries list. Egyptian citizens require a standard UK visa to visit the United Kingdom. Check our eligibility guide for full details on the visa application process.

As of June 2026, 85 nationalities are required to hold a UK ETA before travelling to the United Kingdom. The list has expanded gradually since the scheme launched in June 2023 with Qatar as the first country, and now includes all EU member states, most of the Americas, major Asia-Pacific countries, and the Gulf states. For the history and statistics behind the scheme’s growth, see our UK ETA Statistics 2026 page.

No. Jordan was removed from the UK ETA eligible countries list in September 2024. Jordanian citizens now require a standard UK visa. Do not apply for an ETA — contact our team if you need guidance on the correct visa route.

Yes, in most cases. If you are transiting through a UK airport — even airside, without passing through border control — and your nationality is on the ETA eligible list, you still require a valid UK ETA. Some nationalities require a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) instead. Check our eligibility guide or our dedicated Heathrow transit guide for your specific situation.

Yes — if you are travelling on a foreign (non-British, non-Irish) passport. EU Settled Status and Pre-Settled Status do not replace the ETA requirement at the departure airport. The ETA is verified by the airline when you board your return flight; your Settled Status is separately checked by UK Border Force on arrival. Both are required. This is one of the most important — and most misunderstood — aspects of the ETA for EU nationals resident in the UK. See our full eligibility guide for complete details.

The UK ETA application process in 2026 involves: (1) completing the online form at application-eta.uk with your passport details and photos, (2) paying the UK government fee of £20 plus a service fee from €69, (3) receiving a decision — typically within hours. Your approved ETA is valid for 2 years from the date of approval, allows unlimited entries, and permits stays of up to 6 months per visit. For the full step-by-step breakdown: UK ETA application guide. For costs: fees and processing times.

The UK ETA application requires two photos: a selfie and a photo of your passport data page. For the selfie: plain white or light background, no glasses, neutral expression (mouth closed), eyes open and fully visible, even lighting with no shadows on your face, original file from your camera (not WhatsApp-forwarded or screenshot). Photo quality failures are the most common cause of application delays. Full specification with accepted and rejected examples: UK ETA photo requirements guide.

Yes — the official UK government ETA application is at gov.uk/apply-for-eta. It charges the £20 government fee directly with no handling service. application-eta.uk is an authorised private assistance service that processes applications through the same Home Office system but adds expert review of your photo and passport data before submission, significantly reducing the risk of delays caused by photo non-compliance or form errors. Compare the two channels here.

Yes. The UK ETA online application works from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Canadian, US, and Australian citizens are among the most frequent applicants — all apply through the same online process, entering their passport details, uploading their photos, and paying the fee. There is no need to visit a consulate or embassy. Dedicated guides: UK ETA for Canadians · UK ETA for Americans · UK ETA for Australians.

Start a new application at application-eta.uk and enter the other person’s passport details throughout — their name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, and expiry date. Use your own email address so their approval is delivered to you. Each family member, including infants, requires their own individual application and their own unique ETA. Children under 18 qualify for a 10% discount — select the “minor” option at checkout. See our UK ETA for families and children guide.

You can apply through two main channels: the official GOV.UK portal (government fee of £20 only, self-serve, no expert review) or an authorised assistance service like application-eta.uk (from €69 total including government fee, with expert photo and passport review). If your photo is likely to meet Home Office standards without review, the government channel is cheaper. If you want error-checking before submission and faster processing for urgent travel, an assistance service reduces the risk of delays significantly. Both channels submit to the same Home Office system.