Visa and immigration

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you can find the most up-to-date information on visiting Britain and Northern Ireland on the official government website.

From 2 April 2025, eligible citizens from European countries will require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to Britain and Northern Ireland. Applications will open to nationals of these countries from 5 March 2025.

You can check when you can get an ETA on the official government website.

American, Canadian and Australian tourists, and citizens of certain Commonwealth countries, can travel visa-free throughout Britain and Northern Ireland, providing you have a valid passport and your reason for visiting meets the immigration rules. By mid 2025, visitors from all countries will need an ETA to enter Britain.

The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme started to replace the electronic visa waiver from late 2023:

• Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE require an ETA to travel to the UK. The ETA scheme is open for applications from nationals of these countries.
• Visitors from Jordan can no longer apply for an ETA. More information for visitors from Jordan can be found on the official gov.uk website.
• From 8 January 2025, eligible citizens from non-European countries, including America, Canada and Australia, will be able to travel to Britain and Northern Ireland using an ETA – applications will open to nationals of these countries from 27 November 2024.
• You can check when you can get an ETA on the official government website.

An ETA costs £10 per application, permits multiple journeys and is valid for two years or until the holder’s passport expires - whichever is sooner.

More information on the new ETA scheme can be found via the official government website.

For nationals of all other countries, you can check if you need a UK visa here.

Please note that www.Gov.uk is the only official UK immigration website and provides all of the information necessary to successfully complete an application.

We have received reports of customers using non-Gov.uk websites to support their UK immigration applications. If you have made use of these websites, please be aware of the following:

• Some non-Gov.uk websites deliberately attempt to deceive customers by making it appear as though they are an official part of the application process.
• These websites can pose a risk to a customer’s security and data.
• They will often charge applicants extra, unnecessary fees in addition to any fees related to the official immigration application.
• The information included on these websites is not moderated by the Home Office and may be inaccurate or misleading.

If you think you may have been a victim of a non-Gov.uk website seeking your data and/or money, please report this to Reporting fraud and cyber crime | Action Fraud.