If you’re planning to visit the United Kingdom from the United States, you need to apply for an ETA (“electronic travel authorisation”) before your visit. It’s like an e-visa, but somehow not a visa. It only costs 10 GBP (About $13 USD) and it lasts for 2 years. Note that while this is very similar to the European Union’s ETIAS, ETA is needed for the UK while ETIAS will soon be needed for the rest of Europe (thanks Brexit).
I have a trip to London coming up and so I applied. While it didn’t take long, I was surprised by how challenging it was to get through a couple of the steps in the process. I’ll walk you through it below so that you can breeze past those issues. If you decide not to read further, at least remember this one thing (which the UK doesn’t seem to know): in US passports, the scannable electronic chip is in the inside back cover.
The first step is to find the smartphone app called “UK ETA”. The image below shows what it should look like in the app store:
When you start the app, it suggests that the process can be done in three easy steps:
And the first steps were super easy:
But then I got to the “confirm your identity” step. This proved to be a little challenging (for me)…
You can’t see this in the static image above, but the app showed the cell phone moving up and down over the passport’s front cover in order to scan the passport’s electronic chip. It didn’t work the first time. It didn’t work the second time. It didn’t work the eighteenth time. The app suggested turning over the passport and scanning the back. That didn’t work either. Finally, I Googled the problem and learned that in US passports, the electronic chip is in the inside back cover. I opened my passport to the end and scanned the inside back cover. It worked on my first try. Done!
Next it was necessary to take a selfie. That should have been easy, right? The problem was that the app said to take the selfie with nothing behind me and no shadows on my face. I did my best to find such a spot for the selfie, but finding the right combination of a blank wall and even lighting was challenging. I tried with uneven lighting, but the app kept rejecting my photos. Finally I turned on the selfie-camera flash on my phone. That was the ticket. It got rid of the shadows that the UK ETA app was so resistant to.
Finally I got to the payment screen. I used Apple Pay and the payment went through without any issue.
Seconds after finalizing payment, I received an email saying that my ETA application was approved! Since authorization is tied to the passport, It’s not necessary to show the ETA approval when entering the UK.
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Important caveat: make sure to use the app! I was reluctant to download yet another app, and clicked on a link to apply online. It took me to a third-party that submitted my app. They charged me £70+! I only realized after-the-fact that this was a third party. I had navigated from the official UK gov site and there was no warning that I was going to a third party.
Do you need todo this even if you are just connecting and there only 22 hours?
Yes, even if transiting the U.K., one needs an ETA.
Actually the requirement for transiting was rescinded a few days after the ETA went into effect, but only if you are only transiting airside. If OP is going to be there for 22 hours, presumably they would be going through passport control and therefore would need the ETA still.
It was very frustrating when i did my application because i also have a US passport and i cant figure it out why its not scanning correctly, gives me an error, but i think there is another option which the one i did, and it went through, and when i pay my other mastercard wasnt accepted and i changes it to another card and boom it went through, after a few mins i received an approval right away
My cousin tried 4x , no answer until now, she got to the end but never got the second email to approve or to reject, so frustrated.
Your tip about the back inside cover of the passport was very helpful. Taking the selfie was really a pain. The photo needed for my passport renewal was much easier.
After multiple attempts and getting locked out of the UK ETA app, I used the web based application and was successful.
My experience was very similar. Had the same problem with not finding the chip, so after about 8 tries just entered data manually. Had same problem with getting ETA to accept photo. Took about 6 tries but finally got it. Whole process took about 10 minutes; approval came in about 3 minutes.
Really helpful overview – thank you!!
I have an older passport, expires in less than 2 years, and it wouldn’t scan the chip. I entered the couple of items manually which was much faster than moving my passport around my phone over and over! However, I applied on a Friday and didn’t receive approval until Monday. My husband has a newer passport and his chip scanned on the first try and he was approved immediately. So I’d recommend not waiting until the last minute just in case.
I recall reading (perhaps on Dans Deals) that the brand new UK eVisa fee was going to increase soon. Does anyone know if that’s correct? My likely next UK visit isn’t until June, and since the visa is only good for 2 years, I’d wait to apply — unless of course it will cost me more in the next few months.
The UK ETA is NOT the same as eVisa for the UK.
Helpful tutorial. Thanks. Approval came through in about a minute.
I did not have any problems reading the passport chip but had to try a couple of locations in my house for the photo to pass. However, having recently updated my US passport, the automatic checks for digital US passport photos are MUCH stricter. (Even digital photos I had taken at CVS failed.) Having gone through that process the UK ETA photos were a breeze by comparison.
I do not like to download apps. I try to download only a few apps. The UK website does not seem to have an easy way to apply online using a desktop computer. I didn’t see a form at all, despite clicking many UK ETA links
If it makes a difference, you can delete the app after you get the ETA or even use it on someone else’s phone. You don’t need the app for travel once the ETA is linked to your passport.
What if you give them non-biometric passport without a chip?
You can do it without a chip by entering the passport information manually.
I have a trip in December. How long in advance can one apply for the ETA? Thanks
I just had a layover LHR coming from Dubai and had to get it – ALso did it on the App. WIthin 5 minutes got an aproval.
Thought they changed the rule for layovers/transit. Did you go airside?
You can apply any time and then it’s valid for two years