UK ETA or visa: which do you need?

The short answer

Two things decide it: your nationality and the reason for your trip.

• If your passport is from a country on the ETA list and you're visiting for up to six months, you need an ETA.
• If your passport isn't on the list, you can't get an ETA. You may need a visa, even for a short holiday.
• If you want to work, study on a longer course, live with family or stay longer than six months, you need a visa, whatever your nationality.

ETA and visa side by side

Who can get an ETA

The ETA is for nationalities that don't need a visa for short UK visits. At the time of writing that includes the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Israel; the six Gulf states; Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and several other Latin American countries; every EU country except Ireland, plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland; and many Caribbean and Pacific nations. Taiwan passports qualify if they include an identification card number.

The list changes from time to time, so check the GOV.UK list of eligible nationalities before you apply.

When you need a visa instead

You need a visa if any of these apply:

• your nationality isn't on the ETA list
• you want to work in the UK, beyond the business activities and permitted paid engagements that visitors can do
• you're coming to study on a course longer than six months
• you want to stay longer than six months at a time, or to live in the UK
• your ETA application has been refused

Once you hold a UK visa, you don't need an ETA as well. The visa is your permission to travel.

If your nationality isn't on the ETA list

You can't get an ETA, and no service can get one for you. Use the GOV.UK tool to check if you need a UK visa. It asks for your nationality and the reason for your trip, then tells you what to apply for.

Allow plenty of time. Visa applications take much longer than an ETA, and you may need to book an appointment at a visa application centre before your application can be decided.

If you hold two nationalities and one of them is on the ETA list, you can apply for an ETA with that passport, as long as it's the passport you'll travel on.

What you can and can't do on an ETA

An ETA is for visiting. That covers holidays, seeing family and friends, business activities such as attending meetings or conferences, short courses of study and transit. It also covers some permitted paid engagements and work under the Creative Worker concession. GOV.UK sets out the detailed rules for each.

An ETA doesn't let you take a job with a UK employer, enrol on a long course or make the UK your home. If that's your plan, apply for the right visa from the start. Being clear about the purpose of your trip matters at the border as much as on the form.

With an ETA or a visa, the final decision is made at the border. A Border Force officer decides whether to let you in when you arrive.

Next steps

If an ETA is right for you, apply in the UK ETA app or at GOV.UK for £20. If you're still not sure, our eligibility page is a quick way to check, and our specialists can help with the application if you'd like it checked before it's submitted.