Applying for a UK Electronic Travel Authorization on etourist.com
Applying for a UK ETA application on etourist.com is easier to picture as a trip than as a form. This post follows one illustrative traveler, Maya, a Canadian visiting friends in London, from booking flights to walking through the UK border. Maya is a made-up example, but every rule she meets comes from GOV.UK, the Home Office or eTourist’s own pages.
- Book the flights and confirm the ETA is needed.
- Fill in the eTourist form.
- Answer a follow-up question during review.
- Receive the decision by email.
- Check in at the airport.
- Arrive at the UK border.
Six Weeks Out and Booking the Flights
Maya books a two-week trip to London. Canada is one of the 85 nationalities the Home Office listed when it began enforcing the ETA scheme on 25 February 2026, so she knows she needs one.
She checks the exemptions first. She is not a British or Irish citizen, holds no UK visa and has no permission to live, work or study in the UK. None of the exemptions fits.
Tip. Applying soon after booking leaves plenty of slack. The Home Office recommends at least three working days, and Maya has six weeks.
Choosing Between the App and a Web Form
Maya’s first decision is how to apply. GOV.UK offers the UK ETA app and an online form, and eTourist offers its own web form for a service fee.
- The app needs an iPhone 7 or newer on iOS 16, or an Android 12 phone with NFC.
- It scans the passport chip and runs a face scan.
- The GOV.UK online form uses uploaded photos instead.
- eTourist adds a review of her answers and 24/7 chat.
Her phone is old and she likes the idea of someone checking her answers, so she opts for eTourist. A traveler with a newer phone might reasonably choose the app and pay only the GBP 20 fee.
Applying for a UK Electronic Travel Authorization on etourist.com
Maya prefers a laptop to the phone app, so she uses eTourist’s web form one evening. The site says it takes about five minutes.
The start screen
She picks Canada as her passport country, tourism as the purpose and one traveler. The form then opens the personal and passport sections.
Personal and passport details
- She types her name exactly as printed on the passport photo page.
- She copies the passport number and expiry date from the passport itself.
- She adds her home address, email and phone number.
- She uploads a face photo her flatmate took against a plain wall.
Questions about background
The UK government asks every applicant about things like employment and criminal history. Maya answers each question truthfully, since the eTourist terms make her responsible for accurate information.
Note. At checkout she sees the total, made up of the GBP 20 government fee and eTourist’s service fee. She chooses Standard, as there is no rush.
The Order Moves Through Review
The next morning her order shows as Reviewed. An email from eTourist asks her to resend the face photo, because a shadow falls across one side of her face.
- She retakes the photo in a brighter room, with nothing behind her.
- She replies the same day, well inside the 7 days eTourist allows.
- Her order then moves to With Government.
Had she ignored the email for more than 7 days, the refund policy says the order would be treated as non-responsive. That would also end any chance of a refund.
The Decision Lands in the Inbox
A few hours after submission, the decision arrives by email. GOV.UK says this usually happens within a day and can take up to 3 working days.
The approval email includes a 16-digit ETA reference number. Maya saves it next to her flight confirmation and her eTourist order number.
- Her ETA lasts 2 years, or until her passport expires if that is sooner.
- It covers multiple visits of up to 6 months each.
- It is linked to the passport she applied with.
A Friend With a Different Passport
Maya’s travel companion, Liam, is also Canadian but holds Irish citizenship through his mother. He asks whether he should place an eTourist order too.
He should not, as long as he travels on his Irish passport. GOV.UK says British and Irish citizens, including dual citizens, do not need an ETA.
Note. The Home Office advises dual nationals to carry the right documentation, so the airline does not look for an ETA on the wrong passport.
What the Trip Cost in Fees
Maya’s checkout total had two parts. The GBP 20 government fee went to the Home Office, and eTourist’s service fee covered the preparation, review and support.
She also read the refund rules before paying, since eTourist only accepts refund requests within 7 days of ordering.
- Before the review began, 100% of the service fee would come back.
- Once the review had started, 75% would.
- After submission to the government, nothing would.
Once her file went to the government, neither fee was refundable. GOV.UK says the GBP 20 is not refunded after you apply.
A Change of Plan Midway
A month later Maya adds a weekend in Edinburgh and plans a second trip the following spring. She wonders whether she needs another ETA.
She does not. The ETA covers the whole of the UK, and the Home Office says it permits multiple journeys over its validity. A second eTourist order would only cost her another set of fees.
Good to know. If Maya renewed her passport before the spring trip, she would need a new ETA, because the old one stays linked to the old passport.
Check-In Day at the Airport
At the check-in desk Maya hands over her passport. Airlines check that eligible visitors hold an ETA before they board, and since enforcement began they refuse boarding to those who do not.
The agent scans the passport, and the airline’s system finds the ETA linked to it. Maya is through check-in in a couple of minutes. She does not need to print anything. GOV.UK says you only need to show the passport you applied with, because the ETA is linked to it electronically.
Warning. Travelling on a different passport from the one used in the application, for example a second nationality’s passport, means the airline will not find a matching ETA.
A Stopover on the Way Home
Maya’s return flight connects through Heathrow to a second flight. She checks whether the connection affects her ETA.
| Connection type | ETA needed? |
|---|---|
| Staying airside at Heathrow, no passport control | Not currently, per the Home Office |
| Passing UK passport control to connect | Yes |
She already holds an ETA, so either way she is covered. For travelers who only change planes in the UK, the distinction decides whether an order is needed at all.
Through the UK Border
On arrival, Border Force officers make the final decision on entry. GOV.UK is clear that an ETA does not guarantee entry, so Maya keeps her return ticket and her friends’ address to hand.
| Maya can | Maya cannot |
|---|---|
| Visit friends and see the sights | Stay longer than 6 months |
| Travel on to Edinburgh | Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company |
| Return on later trips | Claim public funds |
Looking Back on the Process
Across the whole trip, Maya dealt with the Home Office’s rules four times: at the exemptions check, on the form, at check-in and at the border. eTourist sat inside just one of those moments, helping with the form.
Tip. Maya’s experience shows where the effort really lies. The form itself is short, but the photo, the passport details and a quick reply to the review email are what keep things moving.
eTourist gave her a web form, a check of her answers and a person to email. The ETA itself, and every rule about it, came from the Home Office. This is general information, not immigration advice.