UK ETA application experience

Thank you!!!!! Super helpful and really appreciated! :-)

Yeah, there have been many on here concerned about ETA and EITAS, that it somehow is a lengthy process with unknown results (likelihood you will be rejected), concerned it may take months.

What you experienced is similar to what visitors to the US experience with ESTA, or if you go back a few years, the authorization needed for visiting during Covid for some European countries.

The ETA/EITAS/ESTA is really for most a non-issue, certainly something you need to remember to do, better to do earlier than later for a planned trip, but in a pinch, you could do it immediately before check-in at the airport (for most systems, you need only have submitted the application).

Hopefully your experience will reassure the nervous ones.

It seems a bit much to have to have one just for a layover though!

Thank you, that is helpful! I will be in London from January 3-8, so I am leaving the day it goes into effect. Thinking maybe I should get an ETA since it is good for two years and I know I will travel to the UK at least once or twice in those two years.

The people it may affect is anyone with a criminal record of any sort. Overseas citizens will have an ESTA for visiting the USA automatically refused if they have any kind of conviction for drug related offences, for example. Other minor offences will also result in it being impossible to get an ESTA. It can still be possible to travel but people affected need to go to the US Embassy in person to get a visa.

It will be interesting to see if the ETA system is similarly strict.

Thanks, Carol! Very helpful and reassuring.

Thanks for posting your experience, Carol.

I expect when you check in for your flight you'll have to show them the app with your approval? Or I guess there is a number associated with the approval so maybe that will need to be added to an airline account (thinking of Delta's FlyReady website)?

The people it may affect is anyone with a criminal record of any sort.

It is not quite that dire. The questions of interest are: (paraphrased)

Have you been convicted of a criminal offense in which you were given a custodial sentence (I assume jailed, possibly Parole) for more than 12 Months?

Have you been convicted of a criminal offense in the last 12 months?

If you answer positive to the second question, you are then prompted to enter additional information on the nature of the offense.

It seems clear that serious felonies are what they are looking for, not a traffic ticket or misdemeanor. Things that are not illegal in the UK are also not of concern.

I would agree the US gets a bit uptight about drug offenses, they have even denied entry to people who have publicly admitted to drug use, without ever being convicted.

For those interested, here is a link to the documentation used by those who make decisions on an ETA: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electronic-travel-authorisation-caseworker-guidance

Though I suspect if you answer all question appropriately, no human actually sees the application, it is just automatically approved.

Carol, that is very thoughtful of you to post your experience. Thank you.

And yes it sounds much like what my husband does when he applies for his ESTA, although I feel like he just enters the number and expiration date of his passport (not a scan) and doesn't have to do a photo. Maybe the next go-round, that will be in the US ESTA system too !

@Pam. The approval notice states, "When you travel to the UK, you only need your passport that ends in XXXX. You do not need to print or show this confirmation email."

So the ETA is automatically linked to your passport and will show up at passport control. I'm not sure how the airlines will handle this since there really is nothing to "show".

Thank you and bookmarking. It sounded intimidating, so your explanation of the steps helps us be mentally prepared.

I, too, applied today. Let me tell you my experiece.

I used the app. I was able to take a photo of my information page, scan the chip in the passport, take my photo first time, answer a few questions and pay via Google Pay.

I immediately got an email saying they received my application and I should hear within 72 hours.

And now the wait.....

Well, I did get approved. The time between email confirmation of application to the Approval email was about 20 seconds.

20 seconds.

I just processed my application and had the same experience as Carol. Everything went fine, except would not scan the chip. I confirmed the information. Took two (yes 2) minutes to receive approval. Cost was $13.08 in $US.

Regarding scanning the passport....

1) Make sure any cover on your passport and phone are removed.

2)Try scanning from the back of the passport rather than the front.

3) Move the phone slowly.

Thanks Carol NR for sharing your experience and hints. Since i travel in June, I’m in no rush to apply. The RS tour email yesterday about ETA say apply a month from traveling. I’m planning 60 days prior.

As others have said, it’s interesting that you need an ETA for transiting through UK airports. That’s going to catch a lot of people who are only connecting flights.

Eventually the requirement will hopefully be integrated into the airline reservation systems, so one will be prompted to apply or confirm, similar to passport requirements.

Thanks Carol for the extra information about the approval being linked to your passport.

Dumb question, but I'm assuming the reading of the chip is enabled in the app and with NFC turned on.

VAP, based on what I just did for Australia, yes to both.

I applied for my visa to Australia yesterday and the process was exactly as Carol now retired has described for the UK. I had quite a bit of trouble with the chip scanning but did a TripAdvisor search, which told me to scan the inside cover of the passport, after having it open. The AU instructions specifically said (and showed) to scan the information page. Sigh. Once I only opened the cover, it was 2 seconds.

I just did mine, and approval took two minutes. I tried the app unsuccessfully, and then the web site, which was very simple.

I used the app to apply today. I applied at 11 AM and was approved by 3 PM.

The app could not find the chip in my passport, so I submitted without this and was approved within minutes today.

ETA/EITAS/ESTA/Australian thingy...... Arent things going in the wrong direction. Thank you Turkey for dropping your visa requirement despite the rest of the world adding visas. At least they are easy.

These AREN'T visas (I repeat for the nth time). The ONLY people who can travel with these approvals are those who are traveling under a visa waiver agreement.

Getting a visa costs a lot more and takes a lot more time and trouble (paperwork).

And as many have pointed out, this is just the Brits reciprocating what the U.S. has required of visa-free travelers since 2008 — I.e. for 16 years now.

And the same will be true when the EU finally introduces theirs. They are simply handing back to us what we have made them do for 16 years.

Sorry but I get crazy when the terminology isn't right.

Arent things going in the wrong direction.

No, not at all. Think of it not as a visa (it isn't) but as a trusted traveler program.

You provide information about yourself prior to travel, it gets the green, yellow, or red light; you show up at the border, and hopefully, scan your passport, smile at the camera, and away you go. No standing in line, talking to a border officer, hoping they are in a good mood, or at least not wanting to mess with you (most I have experienced though over the years are bored and as wanting to get rid of you as you are to get through.)

If it helps ease of travel, while increasing safety, I'm all for it.

It's all very complicated. Basically the same processes and questions and more or less the same fees to provide the same scrutiny and security and traveler rights in each, but some are a visa and others are not. But I will try and remember which is which.

Sorry, having trouble remembering, but didn't getting that TSA-Pre tag, which while similar merely allows one to use potentially quicker line, cost a lot more? I am afraid I am failing to see why a document with a small fee is an issue for trips that cost in the thousands of dollars.

@Larry and Paul. You sound a bit confused. This has nothing to do with a “quicker line”. You don’t get any faster than the Egates already available to US passport holders. This is about legal entry to the country. Every country has the right to manage their borders as they see fit. The UK has chosen to implement ETA process Jan 8th. Getting one is simple and inexpensive for most people.

Thank you, Carol! I got approved in less than 90 seconds. "Done and dusted," as we say in England ;-)

This has nothing to do with a “quicker line”.

But it does, it is one link in border security. Yes, you can use the e-gates now, but countries realize those have risks, this mitigates those risks.

Same with the Schengen zone, they are trying to get e-gates working in a coordinated Schengen wide system, called EES, was supposed to be well into rollout by now, but delayed, and this is the step that needs to happen before EITAS is rolled out.

The UK did a limited rollout (specific countries) with E-Gates, now they are following with ETA, basically the same approach. If you know about the people coming in, it is easier to just pass them through.

"some are a visa and others are not."

Correct - the Australian ETA is a visa (Australia requires every non citizen or permanent resident to have a visa), the UK ETA is not, as ir applies only to nationals of countries that don't require visas.

Simon, good to know that the online version worked well for you. I have an older iphone that might not work well with the app, and the online instructions looked easier anyway. Thank you. :O)

Great info, appreciated - thank you for sharing.

Does this UK ETA also cover Scotland?

Yes.

The UK is comprised of 4 nations, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England, and the UK ETA is valid for all 4.

I might be the only person who never received an email after completing the application without problems on Nov. 28. They gave me a Referenced Number and charged my credit card, but no email has ever appeared in my regular or spam folders (GMail).

The UK website says to contact them if the email doesn't arrive by Dec. 5, but I don't find a way to do so. Aggravating! Does anyone see a way to proceed?

Miles - it took some digging, but I found this "Contact us" page. I didn't run all the way through the pages, but it looks like it is set up to resolve common problems and send you off to a web chat. Good luck. https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk

Two of us completed iPhone apps in the past week. Neither of us could scan the chip, but manual input was fine. Both of us thought our self-photos were hideous, but they were accepted.

I initially had trouble with an app error message - something to the effect of "System Error Try Later". This was before I even began the process. I removed the app and re-loaded it. This time everything worked smoothly.

@miles99, I'm assuming that you checked your spam folders? If so, and no email, you can try this chat option: https://ukimmigration-support-webchat.homeoffice.gov.uk/eta