ETA London: Get Your Authorisation Before You Fly

Three travellers, three situations

Take real-life cases. Camille spends three days in the capital in February, Karim meets a client for a morning meeting, and Joëlle visits her sister in Hackney. All three hold a passport from a visa-free country, and all three must have an authorisation before boarding: the reason for the trip, the length of the stay or the district you visit changes nothing.

The capital has no special rule. The authorisation is national, so a London ETA is the same document you would use for Edinburgh or Cardiff, and no extra charge applies for the city.

Who does not need one?

• British and Irish citizens, including dual nationals;
• people resident in Ireland travelling within the Common Travel Area;
• holders of a valid British visa or permit;
• transit passengers who stay airside at Heathrow or Manchester and do not pass border control.

If you fit none of these lines, the London ETA requirement applies to you. The government service Check if you need a UK visa confirms your position, and the page on eligible countries lists the nationalities.

What the carrier checks, and when

The check happens before departure, not on arrival. Whether you fly to Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton or London City, ride the Eurostar to St Pancras, or take a ferry followed by a coach, the company verifies that your authorisation is linked to the passport you show. Without it you stay at check-in or on the platform, ticket in hand.

The sensible habit is to start the process before buying a non-refundable ticket, then keep travelling on the passport used for the application. An ETA UK London trip depends on one specific passport, not on you in general.

The figures to remember

The government fee rose from £16 to £20 on 8 April 2026. For someone who returns often, the maths is easy: one ETA London approval serves every city break during its validity.

Does a stopover in the capital trigger the requirement?

It depends on what you do. No ETA UK London document is needed if you remain airside at Heathrow or Manchester and never cross border control. The moment you leave the terminal for lunch in town, things change. Edge cases are covered in the article on transit and stopovers.

Applying, step by step

1. Gather your passport, a photo and an e-mail address you actually read.
2. Complete the online form: once sent, it cannot be edited, so re-read every field.
3. The service's support team checks the file before it goes in.
4. Pay, then wait for the decision by e-mail.

Open your ETA UK London application at least three working days before you leave. The assistance is optional: you can also apply directly at gov.uk/eta/apply, for £20. A question first? Write to support@e-visa.online.

Once the decision arrives

A London ETA approval is not a guarantee of entry: the border officer has the final say. If an application is rejected, you may submit a new one; if it is refused, there is no appeal and you will need a visa. To follow a file, use Check your ETA. Families should also read the page on children, and the page on a rejected ETA explains what to do after a rejection.