UK ETA app

Use the website?

i genuinely didn’t even know they had a website smh ill try it out now

make sure you use the official website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

The ETA app just says it’s busy. When I clicked apply online from the website, it said the estimated wait time is more than an hour. Good luck.

Two things have happened over the last few days i.e. EU citizens needing to have an ETA and the confirmed date for the fee increase (£16 from 9 April). Both will have increased demand in the short term.

Both my husband and I applied today (after waiting about twenty minutes in an online queue) a couple hours ago online. Mine went right through and I received approval within 45 min, but my husband tried twice unsuccessfully. The system got stuck on “We’re retrieving your data” stage after he submitted his photo and passport pictures and never completed his application. He left them an email message—hopefully we’ll hear back from them or maybe we should just try again another time.

Update to yesterday’s comment: Though I had to wait 30 minutes online today, I tried to apply for my husband, since I had all his info and pics of passport page and a photo. It went right through, and 30 minutes later he was approved, all before the rate increase on the 9th. Yay. On more thing checked off before our trip in September.

You may wish try applying online after 5:00 pm or whatever would be 11:00 pm Europe time your time to avoid a long line in the queue. My husband and I applied last evening and there was no wait in the queue, maybe because not too many Europeans would be applying late at night their time.

It took us three tries to take a photo that they accepted. We did not realize no smiles and it had to include head, shoulder, and mid chest. We scanned our passports to our desktop and had to crop them so only the bottom page showed.

We timed out the first time, so we had to re do it, but we were approved and confirmed right away the second time.

I used my laptop to apply in March since my friends said they had problems using their phones. I got immediate approval - no waiting. I had to take my picture twice but my husband's first try was accepted.

I just applied via the app. About 5:30 west coast time. Took the case off my phone and it found the chip. Hardest part was finding the chip. For my phone it was about one quarter way down from the top. Holding phone steady while it was scanning was a little difficult due to the camera bump. App doesn’t allow you to upload a photo so you have to take one. Paid 13.45 USD as the app charges you in $ and doesn’t offer an option to pay in £. Approval came within 5 minutes of submission.

Edit. The chip was on the inside of the back cover of my new passport.