In September 2024, the United Kingdom announced that filling out an electronic registration would become mandatory for foreign tourists entering the country. As of April 2, 2025, most European citizens have to fill out the corresponding form and pay £10 (~€11) for unlimited entries within 2 years after registration.
In contrast to earlier plans, it is not (yet) mandatory to get an ETA if you’re a merely transiting at a UK airport.
To apply for the registration, you can use the app for iOS or Android. You can also apply online through your browser, though there were some technical issues and waiting times since it went online yesterday, March 5, 2025.
Nationalities with ETA requirement starting April 2, 2025
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Vatican City
According to the ETA portal, you should have the following things ready next to you before applying:
- the passport you will travel with – not a photocopy or digital passport
- access to your emails
- a payment method – you can use Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Apple Pay or Google Pay
You will need to upload or take photos of the:
- passport
- face of the person applying
You do not need to enter your travel details.
If you don’t have immediate plans to visit the United Kingdom, we recommend delaying your ETA request until a couple of weeks before your departure. Since it is valid for two years, you can save some money and hassle by making it valid as long as possible – as you don’t need to apply for a new ETA as early.
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange