On 11 September 2026, the Home Office confirmed again in a written parliamentary answer that, since 25 February 2026, travellers who need an ETA cannot board transport to the UK without one. This boarding check did not start in September, and when the offence of arriving in the UK without an ETA will be brought into force was still under review at the time of the answer. In other words, the consequence of not sorting it out shows up at the departure point. This guide explains who needs the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), how to apply and what to do when something goes wrong, for travellers holding Hong Kong SAR, BN(O), Taiwan, mainland China, Singapore or Malaysia passports.
The short answer: holders of Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and Malaysia passports, and of Taiwan passports that include the identification card number, must get an ETA before a short visit to the UK, unless an exemption applies, such as already holding a UK visa or residence permission. Holders of a BN(O) passport do not need an ETA or a visitor visa to visit the UK. Ordinary mainland China passport holders cannot apply for an ETA, and a Taiwan passport without the identification card number does not qualify either, so check the visa requirements instead. An ETA costs £20 per person; apply at least 3 working days before travel, and travel only after you receive the confirmation email.
This guide answers:
- For the passport and status you hold, do you need an ETA, a visa or neither?
- What do you need to prepare, and what are the steps on the app and on the official website?
- How do children, family members who are not with you and UK transits work?
- What if you made a mistake, were rejected or were refused? How do you tell fake websites and paid agents apart?
Key Points
- Who should pay attention: travellers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, Singapore and Malaysia going to the UK for tourism, family visits, business trips or short study, and travellers transiting at a UK airport.
- Look at the passport, not where you live. Eligibility depends on the nationality shown in the passport. Hong Kong permanent resident status is not the same as holding a Hong Kong SAR passport.
- An ETA is not a visa. It is a travel permission. It does not guarantee entry to the UK, and on arrival you must still meet the visitor requirements.
- Fee and validity: £20 per person. It is valid for 2 years from the date of approval, or until the expiry date of the passport used for the application, whichever is earlier. You can visit the UK multiple times during that period, for up to 6 months each time.
- Timing: you are usually notified of the decision by email within 1 day, but it can take up to 3 working days. Do not travel before you receive confirmation.
- Tied to the passport: you must travel on the passport you applied with. If it expires or is replaced, apply again.
- Beware of fake websites: applying through other websites or apps does not get you a faster decision and may cost more.
Do You Need One? Check by Passport and Status
Whether you need an ETA depends on your passport and status; the table below assumes a short visit. First check whether you hold a UK visa, residence permission or British or Irish citizenship, as the answer differs from the general traveller rules.
| Your passport or status | Short visit to the UK | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong SAR passport | Must get an ETA | Hong Kong permanent resident status cannot replace the SAR passport; it depends on the passport you actually hold |
| BN(O) passport | No ETA or visitor visa needed | BN(O) is not the same as British citizenship, and does not mean you hold the right of abode in the UK |
| Taiwan passport that includes the identification card number | Must get an ETA | Check whether this number appears on the passport data page |
| Taiwan passport without the identification card number | Does not qualify for an ETA | The visa-free visitor arrangement above does not apply; check the visa requirements and individual exceptions |
| Singapore passport | Must get an ETA | Unless another exemption applies |
| Malaysian passport | Must get an ETA | Unless another exemption applies |
| Ordinary mainland China passport | Cannot apply for an ETA | China is on the list of countries needing a visa in advance; check the applicable visa and express exceptions before going to the UK |
| Already hold a UK visa or UK residence permission | No separate ETA needed | Includes indefinite leave, settled status and pre-settled status; prepare travel documents according to the existing permission |
| Hold British or Irish citizenship as well | Cannot apply for an ETA | Prepare proof of travel according to the official dual citizenship guidance |
If you are not sure, use GOV.UK’s official checker to confirm, then decide the next step.
If you hold a BN(O) passport and another passport, you can apply for an ETA using the other passport. In a parliamentary answer on 3 March 2026, the Home Office said that BN(O) holders without British citizenship can apply for an ETA using a passport from an ETA-eligible country. An ETA is valid only for the passport specified in the application, so Zagdim recommends not mixing the two passports. If your BN(O) passport has expired, do not assume you can board with it; check with the airline before you leave.
For example, a person with an ordinary mainland China passport who has lived in Hong Kong for years is judged by the nationality in the passport. What they need to do is look up the UK visitor visa; holding Hong Kong resident status does not make them eligible for an ETA.
When to Apply and What to Prepare
Apply at least 3 working days before travel. The official guidance says you are usually told the decision within 1 day, but it can take up to 3 working days, and a few cases are examined further. This is a recommendation for leaving time, not a guarantee of the approval time.
The ETA’s validity counts from the approval date, regardless of which day you enter. If your passport is about to expire, the ETA expires with it, and after a new passport is issued you must apply again, so Zagdim recommends sorting out the passport first, then the ETA. The official app guidance says trip details are not required when applying; how early you can apply, check the GOV.UK application page for the current guidance before you leave.
Have the following ready before you apply:
- The original passport. The same one you will carry when travelling. You cannot use a copy or a digital passport.
- An email address. The decision is sent here.
- A payment method. Credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The card types listed in the app guidance include American Express, JCB, Mastercard and Visa.
- A photo of your face. Taken in the app, or uploaded on the official website.
App or official website? Use the app if your phone supports it, and the official website if it does not or the applicant is not with you. Android phones must run Android 12 or later and have NFC to scan the passport chip. For iPhones, the official guidance and the store listing word the model requirement differently, so rely on whether the app can be installed from the App Store on your phone. The app is currently available only in English. If your phone cannot download the app, or the applicant is not with you, use the official website.
How to Apply, Step by Step
You can apply through the UK ETA app or through the official website.
Using the UK ETA app:
- Go to the GOV.UK application page and download the UK ETA app from the link on the page.
- Use the phone camera to photograph the passport personal details page, fully in frame and clear.
- Scan the passport chip. Remove the passport cover and phone case first.
- Scan your face. Applicants aged 10 or over must do this scan.
- Take a facial photo. If you apply for someone else, photograph their face.
- Answer questions on address, employment, other nationalities and criminal convictions.
- Pay. The app shows the price in the local currency of your country, and you can also change the payment currency.
- Wait for the email. It includes a 16-digit ETA reference number.
- Travel to the UK only after you receive the email confirming you have the ETA.
What if the chip will not scan? The app falls back to taking the data from the passport photo. Check each item carefully: if the data does not match the passport, the application may be delayed or rejected.
Using the official website: from the GOV.UK application page, press Start now. Have a photo of the passport and a photo of the applicant’s face ready. The face photo requirements are:
- At least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels high.
- File size at least 50KB and no more than 6MB.
- Not altered by software, including applying filters.
If the photo does not meet the rules, the application may be delayed or rejected, so check the official photo rules before uploading.
After you apply: the ETA is linked to your passport digitally, so you do not need extra documents when you travel, and you can delete the app. To check the status or expiry date later, use the official Check your ETA service, with the passport you applied with. A new application that has not yet received an ETA cannot be tracked with this service.
No news after 3 working days: Zagdim recommends checking your spam folder first, then contact UKVI.
Fee and Validity: What an ETA Lets You Do
An ETA costs £20 per person and is valid for 2 years or until the passport expires, whichever is earlier.
| Item | Detail (at the time of checking) |
|---|---|
| Fee | £20 per person on the official website or the UK ETA app; no refund after you submit |
| Validity | 2 years from approval, or until the expiry of the passport applied with, whichever is earlier |
| Number of trips | Multiple trips to the UK during the validity period |
| Each stay | Up to 6 months |
| Tied to | The same passport specified in the application |
| New passport | Apply again after the passport expires or is replaced |
Older articles may quote other amounts; rely on what the GOV.UK application page shows at the time.
What you can do: tourism, visiting family and friends, business trips and short study. People who qualify under the Creative Worker visa concession can also use an ETA, with a maximum stay of 3 months under that concession.
What you cannot do:
- Work, paid or unpaid, for a UK company, or be self-employed. Permitted paid activities and work covered by the Creative Worker visa concession are excluded.
- Live in the UK through frequent or successive visits. Two years is the validity of the travel authorisation, not a right to live there for 2 years.
- Travel to the UK to marry, register a civil partnership or give notice of either. For these, official guidance requires a Marriage Visitor visa.
If you have a criminal record or have been refused entry to the UK, official guidance suggests considering a Standard Visitor visa instead.
Holding an ETA also does not guarantee entry. Travellers who do not need a visitor visa must still meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements on arrival, and your passport or travel document should be valid for the whole stay.
Families, Children and Transit: Common Situations
Everyone travelling needs their own ETA, including babies and children, and transit depends on whether you pass through UK border control.
Travelling as a Family
Each travelling companion needs their own ETA, including babies and children. When one person applies for everyone, individuals may receive decisions at different times, so Zagdim recommends waiting until everyone has confirmation before you leave.
Applying for Family Members
You can apply for a family member through the app if they are with you, and through the official website if they are not.
| Situation | How to apply |
|---|---|
| The person is with you | You can use the UK ETA app; the person must be present |
| The person is not with you | Use the official website, with a photo of their passport and a photo of their face |
Children and Babies
- Face scan: required from age 10; the app does not ask for it for ages 9 and under.
- Face photo: not needing a scan does not mean no photo is needed; children still need a facial photo.
- Relaxed photo rules: children under 6 do not have to look straight at the camera or keep a neutral expression, and children under 1 do not have to have their eyes open.
- Under 18: contact details for the person with parental responsibility are required.
Transiting in the UK
What matters is whether you pass through UK border control. Airside transit means you do not change airports and do not pass border control. If you change airports, collect baggage, or the airport has no airside transit facilities, it counts as landside transit, that is, entering the UK.
| Your situation | ETA | Visa |
|---|---|---|
| ETA-eligible nationality, airside transit | Not needed | Still check by nationality and itinerary |
| ETA-eligible nationality, landside transit | Required, unless otherwise exempt | Check by nationality and itinerary |
| Ordinary mainland China passport, airside transit | Cannot apply | In principle a visa is required; an exception applies only if you meet the TWOV (transit without visa) conditions |
| Ordinary mainland China passport, landside transit | Cannot apply | A visa is required, or you must meet the landside TWOV conditions |
| Need a visa, and the transit stay exceeds 48 hours | Not applicable | Official guidance requires a Standard Visitor visa |
The Home Office’s explanation is that people transiting at Heathrow or Manchester airport who do not pass through passport control do not currently need an ETA. Note the word “currently”, and check again before you leave. Travellers also cannot use airside transit to go to the Republic of Ireland or elsewhere in the Common Travel Area.
The TWOV conditions must all be met; it is not enough to hold a US visa:
- Airside TWOV: you arrive and leave by air, hold a confirmed onward flight departing from the same airport on the same day, and have the documents needed for your destination. Holding a valid Australian, Canadian, New Zealand or US entry visa is one of the document conditions.
- Landside TWOV: you arrive and leave by air, hold a confirmed onward flight departing before 23:59 the next day, and have the documents needed for your destination. If you rely on a valid entry visa for one of the four countries above to travel there, your ticket must route through the UK and be a reasonable journey to that country.
Whether visa-free transit is permitted is finally decided by the UK border immigration officer. Zagdim recommends checking with the airline whether your itinerary requires you to enter. If you hold a Taiwan passport without the identification card number and need to transit, Zagdim also recommends using the checker first.
From Ireland into Northern Ireland
Entering Northern Ireland is also subject to UK immigration rules, so those who are subject to the ETA requirement and are not exempt must still get an ETA. ETA-eligible travellers who are lawfully resident in the Republic of Ireland and travelling to the UK from elsewhere in the Common Travel Area do not need an ETA; those aged 16 or over must show proof of lawful residence if asked.
What If You Made a Mistake, Were Rejected, Refused or Did Not Apply?
If you entered something wrong: an application cannot be withdrawn or amended after it is submitted. To change details you must apply again, and the fee already paid is not refunded. Check each item against the passport before you submit.
Rejection and refusal are two different things, with different next steps:
| Result | What it means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Rejected | You are told the reason | Correct it according to the reason and apply again |
| Refused | There is no appeal and no administrative review | If you still want to go to the UK, apply for a visa |
A refused ETA is not the same as being refused entry, and you can still follow the visa route, but whether the visa is granted is assessed separately. Rejection and refusal decisions are not made by automated processes.
If you did not apply and turn up at the airport: travellers who need an ETA and do not have one cannot board transport to the UK. You also cannot leave while the application is pending; wait for the confirmation email. If the trip is close, Zagdim recommends applying through the official channel at once, and asking the airline first whether the flight can be changed.
How to Tell Fake Websites and Paid Agents Apart
The official fee is £20 per person. Other websites may charge more and cannot make the decision any faster. Paying extra does not buy priority; use the official channel directly.
Look at these points:
- Enter through GOV.UK. Links to the official website and the app both come from the GOV.UK application page; do not judge by search ranking, adverts or logos.
- Check the end of the address. The Home Office anti-fraud guidance says official website addresses end in .gov.uk. Having gov.uk in the middle of an address does not count.
- Check how payment is taken. The same guidance says the official service does not collect fees by email or by transfer into a personal account.
- Watch the sales talk. Be on your guard against anything that promises guaranteed approval or express processing.
- Do not confuse the schemes. The UK ETA, Canada’s eTA, Australia’s ETA and the EU’s ETIAS are different systems.
Already applied through an agent? Use the official Check your ETA to verify that you hold a valid ETA. If you suspect an immigration scam, report it through the GOV.UK reporting channel.
FAQ
Do all Hong Kong permanent residents need an ETA?
It depends on the passport you actually hold. A Hong Kong SAR passport needs an ETA, a BN(O) passport does not, and an ordinary mainland China passport cannot apply and must look up a visa.
Can I get an ETA with a Taiwan passport that has no identification card number?
No. Only a passport issued by Taiwan that includes the identification card number qualifies for an ETA; for passports without the number, check the visa requirements and individual exceptions.
I have a mainland China passport and a US visa. Can I get an ETA?
No. A US visa can at most affect specific transit arrangements; it does not change ETA nationality eligibility.
An ETA is valid for 2 years. Can I live in the UK for 2 years?
No. An ETA allows stays of up to 6 months per visit, and you cannot use frequent or successive visits to live in the UK.
Can I fly once I have submitted the application and wait for the result?
No. Travellers must wait until they receive the email confirming they hold an ETA before travelling to the UK.
If I get a new passport, is the old ETA still usable?
No. The ETA is tied to the passport you applied with, and after the passport expires or is replaced you must apply again.
Do I still need an ETA if I already have a UK visa?
No. Holders of a UK visa, indefinite leave, settled status, pre-settled status or similar permission do not need to apply separately.
Important Notice
This article is a general information summary and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. It draws on public information from the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK and the UK Parliament, checked on 31 October 2026. Fees, eligible nationalities, exemptions, transit arrangements and app requirements change, so rely on the latest GOV.UK announcements. Whether an ETA is approved, and whether you can board and enter, are decided case by case by the authorities, carriers and border staff.
Have a question about this guide? Leave a comment below, or ask Zagdim directly.
Your first stop for international property and global living.
Research and insights. Know what’s changing. Understand what matters.
Sources
- UK Parliament / Home Office: Written question 27869: Electronic Travel Authorisation (answered 11 September 2026) – https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-09-08/27869
- UK Parliament / Home Office: Written question 115494: BN(O) passport holders and ETA (answered 3 March 2026) – https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-02-24/115494/
- UK Visas and Immigration: Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK: Overview – https://www.gov.uk/eta
- UK Visas and Immigration: When you do not need an ETA – https://www.gov.uk/eta/when-not-need-eta
- UK Visas and Immigration: What you can and cannot do with an ETA – https://www.gov.uk/eta/what-you-can-cannot-do
- UK Visas and Immigration: Apply for an ETA – https://www.gov.uk/eta/apply
- UK Visas and Immigration: Check your electronic travel authorisation (ETA) – https://www.gov.uk/check-eta
- UK Visas and Immigration: Check if you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-get-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta
- UK Visas and Immigration: Using the ‘UK ETA’ app – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-uk-eta-app
- UK Visas and Immigration: Take a photo of your face for a visa application or permission – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-take-a-photo-for-a-visa-application-or-permission
- UK Visas and Immigration: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor – https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor
- UK Visas and Immigration: Visa to pass through the UK in transit: Direct Airside Transit visa – https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa/direct-airside-transit-visa
- UK Visas and Immigration: Visa to pass through the UK in transit: Visitor in Transit visa – https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa/visitor-in-transit-visa
- Home Office: Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) factsheet, April 2026 – https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta-factsheet-april-2026/
- Home Office: Immigration Rules: Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-electronic-travel-authorisation
- Home Office: Immigration Rules: Appendix ETA National List – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-eta-national-list
- Home Office: Immigration Rules: Appendix Visitor: Visa National List – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-visitor-visa-national-list
- Home Office: Electronic Travel Authorisation caseworker guidance – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electronic-travel-authorisation-caseworker-guidance/electronic-travel-authorisation-caseworker-guidance-accessible
- Home Office: UK Visa Requirements for carriers, August 2026 – https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a708e7f2d9e185c82e5b444/UK_Visa_requirements_August_2026.pdf
- Home Office: Fraud, tricks and scams: guidance – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/frauds-tricks-and-scams/fraud-tricks-and-scams
- Home Office: UK ETA app, App Store listing – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uk-eta/id6444912481
