Before They Board: A Family Guide to the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation in 2026

For many families in Britain, the high point of the year is a visit from relatives abroad. Grandparents arriving for a christening, cousins flying in for a graduation, a sibling coming over for a few weeks in the summer. Since the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme was rolled out across nationalities, that visit now begins with an administrative step that many travellers are still learning about.

The ETA is not a visa. It is a form of advance permission to travel, and it is now a routine requirement for a very large number of visitors. Understanding what it does and does not do will save your family time, money and, in the worst cases, a disrupted journey.

What the ETA actually is

The ETA is a digital permission linked to a traveller's passport. It permits the holder to travel to the UK for visits of up to six months at a time, usually for tourism, family visits, business meetings or short study, and it remains valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. During that period the holder may make multiple trips.

Applications are made online or through the official UK ETA smartphone app. The current fee is £16 per person, and every traveller needs their own authorisation, including babies and young children. Decisions are often issued within a few working days, but the Home Office advises allowing longer, and it is sensible to apply well before flights are booked rather than after.

It is important to be clear about what the ETA is not. It is not a guarantee of entry. It is not a work permit. It does not extend the six-month limit, and it does not allow the holder to switch into another immigration route from inside the UK. A Border Force officer still decides at the border whether a person may enter, and on what terms.

Who needs one — and who does not

The ETA now applies to nationals of countries who do not need a visa to visit the UK, a group that has expanded considerably. Irish citizens do not need one. British citizens do not need one. Nor do people who already hold a valid UK visa, or who have existing permission to live, work or study in the United Kingdom.

Everyone else travelling as a visitor, including children and infants, should assume an ETA is required unless they have been advised otherwise. That includes people who are only transiting through the UK, even where they do not intend to pass through border control in the usual way.

One point frequently causes confusion: an ETA is required even where the traveller is arriving from the Republic of Ireland. The Common Travel Area arrangements are separate from the ETA scheme, and relatives should not assume that a flight or ferry from Dublin removes the need to apply.

ETA or visitor visa? Knowing which applies

The ETA is only available to visa-free nationals. If your relative is a national of a country where a visa is required for the UK, the ETA is not an option and a standard visitor visa application must be made instead. Applying for an ETA in those circumstances will simply result in a refusal and a wasted fee.

There are also cases where a person is normally visa-free but should apply for a visa rather than an ETA. Examples include anyone with a criminal conviction, a previous refusal of entry, a deportation or an administrative removal, and anyone who has previously breached UK immigration law. Those applicants need their circumstances considered properly rather than compressed into an automated process.

Where the purpose of the trip goes beyond an ordinary visit — for example, to work, to study for longer than six months, to marry or to give notice of marriage — a visa is required and the ETA will not assist.

Applying: the details that cause delay

Much of the difficulty we see arises from small inaccuracies rather than any substantive problem. The following are worth checking carefully before submission:

• Passport details. The name, number, nationality and expiry date must match the passport exactly. A middle name omitted or a number mistyped can invalidate the authorisation.
• Travel document. The traveller must arrive on the same passport used in the application. A new passport means a new ETA.
• Photograph quality. Images must be clear, recent and unauthorised edits avoided. A photograph taken in poor light at home is a common cause of delay.
• Timing. Applications made days before departure leave no room for a request for further information.
• Unofficial websites. Only the official app or the government website should be used. Several commercial sites charge substantial additional fees for a service that is straightforward to complete directly.

The ETA is valid for two years, so a family planning several visits may find it worthwhile to apply early and keep the confirmation accessible.

If a relative is stopped at the border

An ETA does not remove the need to satisfy a Border Force officer that the visit is genuine. Arriving without a return ticket, without an address, or with an explanation that does not match the stated purpose of the trip invites further questions.

Where a relative is detained or questioned, the priority is calm and consistency. Travellers should answer questions honestly, keep the invitation letter from their UK host to hand, and be able to show where they will stay, who they are visiting and how the trip will be funded. Evidence of ties to home — employment, a tenancy, family responsibilities, a return booking — is often what resolves the matter quickly.

It is important that no one attempts to talk their way around a question. Inconsistency between the application, the interview and the documents is the single most damaging thing that can happen at this stage. If entry is refused, there is generally no right of appeal for a visitor, so prevention is far better than remedy.

Practical steps for families in the UK

If you are hosting, a short letter of invitation can be genuinely useful: it should confirm the relationship, the dates of the visit, where the visitor will stay and who will meet costs. Keep it factual and avoid overstating the purpose of the trip. Ask your relative to carry printed copies of key documents rather than relying on a phone battery.

Finally, remember that visitors cannot generally access free NHS hospital treatment beyond emergency care, and travel insurance should always be arranged before departure.

Our immigration team at Miah Solicitors advises families on visit planning, ETA refusals and visa applications when the ETA route is not available. This article is general information and not legal advice on any individual case.