UK ETA for Americans: Cost, Rules, and How to Apply
Most U.S. citizens now need a UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to visit the UK for tourism, family visits, business trips, or short-term study of up to 6 months. An ETA costs £20, is usually approved within a day, and lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, allowing you to make as many trips as you want during that window. You apply through the official UK ETA service on gov.uk or the UK ETA app, never a third-party site that charges extra. The requirement took effect for Americans on 8 January 2025.
Here is what matters most before you travel:
- Who needs one: nearly all U.S. passport holders visiting the UK, including babies and children.
- What it costs: £20 per person, paid once, with no refund.
- How long it lasts: 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
- What it does not do: an ETA is permission to travel, not a guarantee of entry, and it does not let you work or live in the UK.
Visiting the UK Does Not Pause Your U.S. Taxes
Below you will find who needs an ETA, how to apply, what you can and cannot do with one, when you need a visa instead, and what an ETA means (and does not mean) for your U.S. taxes.
Most U.S. Citizens Now Need a UK ETA to Visit
If you hold a U.S. passport and you are traveling to the UK as a visitor, you almost certainly need an ETA. The UK opened the scheme to Americans and other non-European travelers in late 2024, and since 8 January 2025, it has been a mandatory pre-travel requirement. According to the UK Home Office, the program now covers millions of visitors from the United States, Canada, and Australia each year.
An ETA covers travel to England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man. Each traveler needs their own ETA, including infants and children, and one adult can apply on behalf of others.
A few people do not need an ETA. You can skip it if you hold a British or Irish passport, or if you already have permission to live, work, or study in the UK. If you are unsure, the UK government’s check if you need a UK visa tool confirms exactly what your nationality and trip require.
The UK ETA Costs £20 and Lasts Two Years
An ETA is inexpensive and built for repeat travel. You pay £20 once, and the authorization stays valid for 2 years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. There is no limit on the number of trips you can take while it is valid, as long as each stay is no longer than 6 months.
| ETA detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Cost | £20 per person, one-time, non-refundable |
| Validity | 2 years, or until your passport expires |
| Number of trips | Unlimited within the validity period |
| Maximum stay per visit | 6 months |
| Typical decision time | Usually within a day; allow up to 3 working days |
The official fee is £20 whether you apply through the app or online. Some third-party websites advertise UK ETA services at a higher price; these are not official services, and paying more does not get you a faster decision. Apply only through the channels listed on gov.uk.
How to Apply for a UK ETA
You apply online or, more easily, through the official UK ETA app on the App Store or Google Play. The application takes most travelers only a few minutes.
To apply, you will need:
- The passport you will travel with (your ETA is linked to that passport).
- An email address to receive the decision.
- A payment method: a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
- A photo of your face, which you take or upload during the application.
After you submit, UK Visas and Immigration emails a decision, usually within a day, though you should allow up to 3 working days. The email contains a 16-digit reference number, and your ETA is stored digitally against your passport, so there is nothing to print. Wait until you receive confirmation before booking non-refundable travel, and check your spam folder if you haven’t received a decision after 3 working days.
If you are applying for a child or another traveler who is not with you, you apply for them online rather than in the app, using a photo of their passport and face.
What You Can and Cannot Do on a UK ETA
An ETA is built for short visits, not for living or working in the UK. The official guidance sets clear boundaries.
With an ETA, you CAN:
- Visit for up to 6 months for tourism, seeing family and friends, a business trip, or short-term study.
- Come for up to 3 months under the Creative Worker visa concession.
- Take part in a permitted paid engagement.
- Transit through a UK airport.
With an ETA, you CANNOT:
- Stay longer than 6 months on a single visit.
- Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company, or self-employed work, outside the narrow permitted exceptions above.
- Claim public funds or benefits.
- Live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits.
- Marry or register a civil partnership.
An ETA does not guarantee entry. A UK Border Force officer still makes the final decision when you arrive. If you have a criminal record or have been refused entry to the UK before, a Standard Visitor visa may be the safer route.
When You Need a Visa Instead of an ETA
The ETA is only for short visits. The moment your plans involve working, studying long-term, or relocating, you move out of ETA territory and into the visa system.
| Your plan | What you typically need |
|---|---|
| Tourism, family visit, business trip, study up to 6 months | UK ETA |
| Work for a UK employer | A work visa, such as the Skilled Worker visa |
| Study for longer than 6 months | A Student visa |
| Move to the UK to live | A residence-based visa route |
If you are weighing a longer stay or a permanent move, our guide to UK visa options for U.S. citizens walks through the main routes, requirements, and the U.S. tax rules that come with each one.
A UK ETA Does Not Change Your U.S. Tax Obligations
This is the part most travel sites skip. As a U.S. citizen, you file a U.S. federal tax return on your worldwide income every year, no matter where you travel or how long you are abroad. A short UK visit on an ETA neither creates nor removes any U.S. filing duty, and the £20 fee is a personal travel expense, not a deduction. The IRS rules for citizens abroad apply to your income, not to the document that lets you board the plane.
Where the ETA does matter for taxes is as a signal of what may come next. Many Americans use a visit as a scouting trip before a longer move, and that is exactly when U.S. tax planning should begin.
Consider Maria, a software engineer from Austin who visits London for three weeks on her ETA to interview for roles. Her ETA has no effect on her U.S. taxes; she still files her usual Form 1040. If she accepts an offer and relocates, her UK salary then becomes reportable to the IRS, where the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (up to $130,000 for the 2025 tax year) or the Foreign Tax Credit usually reduces or eliminates the U.S. tax she owes. She would also need to report her UK bank accounts once their combined value exceeds $10,000 at any point in the year.
One narrow exception: if you carry out a permitted paid engagement during your visit, that UK-source income is reportable on your U.S. return like any other income. For everyone else, an ETA trip is simply a trip. When the visit turns into a move, our step-by-step guide to moving to the UK from the USA covers the planning that protects you from surprises.
How Greenback Helps Americans With UK and U.S. Taxes
A tourist trip on an ETA is straightforward. A move to the UK is where the questions multiply, from choosing between the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the Foreign Tax Credit to FBAR reporting and severing state tax ties before you go, plus the UK Self Assessment once you become a UK tax resident. Greenback handles both your UK and U.S. returns on a single account, with a UK Chartered Accountant and a U.S. CPA on the same file, so the two filings line up the first year and every year after.
If you are a U.S. citizen planning a move to the UK, we coordinate both sides so you can focus on settling in. Learn more about how we help Americans living in the UK.
UK and U.S. Taxes, Handled Together
Frequently Asked Questions about the UK ETAs
Yes. Since 8 January 2025, nearly all U.S. passport holders need an ETA to visit the UK for stays of up to 6 months, unless they already hold British or Irish citizenship or have permission to live, work, or study in the UK.
A UK ETA costs £20 per person, paid once and non-refundable. The fee is the same in the app and online, and official channels never charge more.
Most decisions arrive by email within a day. You should allow up to 3 working days, and you must wait for confirmation before you travel.
An ETA is valid for 2 years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. During that time, you can travel to the UK as often as you like, with each stay capped at 6 months.
No. An ETA does not allow paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, apart from a permitted paid engagement or the Creative Worker concession. Working in the UK requires the appropriate visa.
No. An ETA is travel permission and has no effect on your U.S. filing obligations. As a U.S. citizen, you continue to file a U.S. return on your worldwide income, whether or not you travel.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or immigration advice. Visa and travel rules can change, and your situation is unique. Always confirm current requirements with official UK government sources and consult a qualified professional about your specific circumstances.
Related Resources
- UK Visa Options for U.S. Citizens
- Moving to the UK From the USA: A Step-by-Step Guide
- 8 Pre-Arrival Tax Steps Before Moving to the UK
- U.S. Expat Tax Guide for Living in the UK
- U.S.-UK Dual Citizen Taxes Explained
- UK Self Assessment Tax Returns for U.S. Expats
- Tax Help for Americans Living in the UK
- UK Tax Services for U.S. Expats
- U.S. Expat Taxes: The Guide for Americans Living Abroad
