Australians Need an ETA to Visit the UK from 8 January 2025

Australians, as well as citizens of many other countries, will require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK from 8 January 2025.

If you’re travelling to the UK from this date on an Australian passport, and you don’t have a visa or British residency, you must apply in advance for your ETA or potentially risk being denied boarding for your flight. This includes infants and children.

The requirement also applies to citizens of many other countries, including New Zealanders. You can read a full list on the UK government’s website.

The ETA costs GBP10 (~AU$20) and is valid for two years, or until your current passport expires. You can use it for multiple trips while it remains valid.

Australian tourists can visit the UK for up to six months without a visa. This isn’t changing – you’ll just need to apply for an ETA for permission to travel into the UK.

The UK government says that ETAs “will enhance security through new technology and make the UK border more efficient, preserving the UK’s appeal as a dynamic, diverse, and exciting destination to visit”.

The UK ETA is very similar to the USA’s visa waiver program which requires foreign tourists to apply for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before travelling to the United States.

Most foreign visitors coming to Australia must also apply in advance for an Electronic Travel Authority using the Australian ETA App, at a cost of $20.

How to apply for a UK ETA

You can apply for your ETA directly on the UK government’s website or using the UK ETA App, which is available on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store.

As part of your application, you’ll need to upload a photo of your passport and your face. For this reason, it’s probably easier to apply using the App on your smartphone.

It may take up to three working days for the UK government to process your application, although for most people it will probably be quicker than that. Although you must apply before travelling to the UK, the UK government says (at least, for now) you can travel to the UK while waiting for a decision. That’s good news for anyone who may not have realised they need an ETA until they get to the airport.

Once you receive your ETA, it will be linked to the passport that you applied with.

Beware of scam websites

Make sure that you apply for your ETA through the UK government’s official UK ETA App or website. Beware that there may be third parties that offer to apply for an ETA on your behalf.

If you use a third party, the best case scenario is that they do get you an ETA but at a higher cost than if you’d applied directly. The worst case scenario is that you’ve given your passport details to a scammer.

Europe’s Schengen Area will launch its own travel authorisation system in 2025

The European Union plans to launch its own “European Travel Information and Authorisation System” (ETIAS) in 2025. Australian visitors will need to apply for this, once it’s in force, before travelling to the Schengen Area. However, this is not yet in effect and an official start date has not yet been announced.

ETIAS was supposed to launch some years ago, but has been perpetually delayed.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include aviation, economics & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.