The Home Office announced the end of the grace period in November 2025: from 25 February 2026 carriers check the authorisation before travel. On that date the rule covered 85 nationalities.
Who needs an ETA
Visitors from countries whose citizens do not need a UK visa: all six Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain — ten Latin American countries, among them Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, and most of Europe.
An ETA cost £16 in February 2026 and costs £20 since 8 April 2026. It is valid for two years or until the passport expires, for any number of trips of up to six months each. The answer usually comes within a day and can take up to three working days. Every traveller needs their own, babies included.
Who needs a visa instead
An ETA is not available to citizens of countries on the UK visa list: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, China, Türkiye, Iran, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Colombia, Ecuador and many others. They apply for a Standard Visitor visa: £135 since 8 April 2026, £127 before that, with a decision in about three weeks.
The list can change overnight
On 5 March 2026 the UK moved Nicaragua and Saint Lucia from the ETA list to the visa list with effect from the same afternoon; travellers who already held an ETA and a booking were given until 16 April 2026. Check the list on gov.uk before you book — and wait for the email confirming your ETA before you leave for the airport.