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ETA confirmation not received

Posted by on

Hello fellow travelers,
It’s been seven days since I submitted my ETA application through the ETA app. I did receive a reference number confirming that my application was submitted, but I haven’t received any follow-up confirmation.

I’ve carefully checked my spam/junk folders and found nothing. I also tried looking for a contact phone number, email address, or a reliable status-check link for ETA applications, but haven’t had any luck.
I’m scheduled to fly in the first week of October, and now I’m uncertain whether my plans will work out.
Has anyone experienced something similar, or do you know what steps I can take?
Thanks,
Mark

Posted by
5383 posts

The approval should happen in minutes, there is a problem. Reach out to them ASAP, by phone during business hours if necessary.

Posted by
6 posts

I checked the official UK Visa and Immigration website, but all the links are about how to apply for an ETA, not about checking an existing application. The site mentions that if you’ve waited more than three days you should contact them, but it doesn’t provide a phone number or a direct link for support.

The only option available is an automated chat system, which doesn’t give any useful answers. So far, I haven’t been able to find a valid support link for ETA assistance in England.

Posted by
1111 posts

I did a search for the information with UKVI office, you do have to go through a series of questions, I entered that status on Visa/ETA was required. Here are the contacts via web and phone. I don’t usually send links as I know that people are rightly concerned with them, so if you want the link to the site directly, let me know. Otherwise, here is the info I copied.

Contact UKVI online

You can send an online query to UKVI.

Contact UK Visas and Immigration online.

Online queries cost £2.74. You will not be charged for any follow-up emails about the same enquiry.

You will get a reply to your query within 5 days, except on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and UK public holidays.

If you do not get a response within 5 working days, check your email’s spam or junk folder before contacting UKVI again.

Contact UKVI by phone

UK Visas and Immigration contact centre
Telephone: +44 (0)300 790 6268
Monday to Friday, 24 hours
Closed on UK bank holidays
Calls cost 69 pence per minute on top of your standard network charges.

If you cannot contact UK 0300 numbers, use +44 (0)203 875 4669.

Posted by
6 posts

Thanks for the replies.
I tried calling +44 (0)203 875 4669 this morning. The recording listed about 10 or more options, all for visa types but nothing for ETA. The office was closed when I called, so I’ll try again tomorrow by calling earlier from California.

Posted by
3480 posts

The only option available is an automated chat system, which doesn’t
give any useful answers. So far, I haven’t been able to find a valid
support link for ETA assistance in England.

I believe this is the only way you can contact them about ETAs via the link I provided upthread. I believe they only have live agents during regular UK business hours - calculate for your time zone. Or, call the UK embassy closest to you and see if they can advise.

Posted by
6 posts

Good news to share: This morning, after several attempts with the ETA chat system (where the automated bot kept asking me about my question), I finally typed the magic words: “I want a live ETA advisor.” That did the trick—a real person came on and asked what I needed.

I had already prepared my details, so I just copied and pasted them into the chat. After a few minutes, the advisor confirmed that my ETA was approved and properly linked to my passport (including the other seven in my group).

I also asked them to send me a confirmation email for my records. Hoping this post will help others in the same situation.

Mark

Posted by
3480 posts

Mark, great news and thanks for coming back to update the thread, it could help others in the future. Happy travels!

Posted by
16112 posts

Excellent results! And yes, thank you for coming back with a follow up on how you managed to get an answer. I am sure it will help others as there have been lots of questions.

Posted by
6 posts

I wanted to share one more recentimportant discovery.

I was using an Outlook email address on my iPhone for my ETA application. A few minutes ago, I noticed that only a very small number of emails were showing in my inbox. To troubleshoot, I deleted the Outlook account from my iPhone and reinstalled it.

To my surprise, once I reinstalled, my inbox filled up with messages from the past week—including the ETA confirmation email from last Wednesday, the very day my application was approved.

So, it turns out that simply checking the spam or junk folder isn’t always enough when looking for your ETA confirmation.

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