--- title: "UK ETA 2026: How to Get the Authorisation (Step by Step)" excerpt: "US citizens have needed an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to enter the United Kingdom since 8 January 2025, alongside Canadians, Australians, Japanese, South Koreans and the other 45 visa-free nationalities. The current fee is £20 (about USD 25 at May 2026 exchange), 72-hour approval for most, and the document covers multiple visits of up to 6 months each over 2 years. Apply directly at gov.uk or in the UK ETA app — any third-party site charging USD 100+ to \"facilitate\" is a useless middleman. This guide shows the real step by step, the errors that get an ETA refused, and what to do if you do get refused." description: "US citizens have needed an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to enter the United Kingdom since 8 January 2025, alongside Canadians, Australians, Japanese, South Koreans and the other 45 visa-free nationalities. The current fee is £20 (about USD 25 at May 2026 exchange), 72-hour approval for most, and the document covers multiple visits of up to 6 months each over 2 years. Apply directly at gov.uk or in the UK ETA app — any third-party site charging USD 100+ to \"facilitate\" is a useless middleman. This guide shows the real step by step, the errors that get an ETA refused, and what to do if you do get refused." slug: "eta-uk-2026-brazilians-step-by-step" locale: "en" canonical: "https://voyspark.com/en/journal/eta-uk-2026-brazilians-step-by-step" author: "Curadoria Voyspark" published_at: "Fri May 22 2026 21:30:17 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)" updated_at: "Wed Jun 03 2026 15:30:10 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)" vertical: "hacking" reading_time_minutes: 14 word_count: 2889 hero_image: "https://s3.voyspark.com/voyspark-images/articles/eta-uk-2026-brasileiros-passo-a-passo/hero.jpg" tags: - "eta-uk" - "reino-unido" - "visto" - "londres" - "2026" --- # UK ETA 2026: How to Get the Authorisation (Step by Step) The confusion starts because the ETA is not a visa. It is an electronic pre-authorisation linked to a passport, identical in form to the US ESTA or the Canadian eTA. US, Canadian, Australian, Japanese and Korean travelers are still visa-free for the UK — they just now need this prior permission. The rule activated for US passport holders on **8 January 2025**, after 2024 testing with Gulf nationals (Qatar, Kuwait, UAE). On 9 April 2025, the Home Office raised the fee from £10 to £20 — the price in force in 2026. There is exactly one legitimate channel: gov.uk or the official UK ETA app. Everything else is a middleman taking a margin. --- ### Who needs a UK ETA and since when **TL;DR**: US citizens have needed an ETA for the UK since 8 January 2025. Applications opened on 27 November 2024 and the rule applies to every non-European visa-free national — Americans, Canadians, Australians, Japanese, South Koreans, Argentines, Brazilians, Mexicans. EU and EFTA citizens entered the scheme from 2 April 2025. The ETA covers the entire United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) plus Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Anyone traveling only to Ireland (Republic, Dublin) **does not need an ETA** — Ireland is a separate country and maintains its Common Travel Area arrangement with the rest of the world separately. **You do not need an ETA if:** - You hold a valid UK visa (any category) - You have residence rights or pre-Brexit status - You are a dual UK national or hold an Irish passport - You are in **air-side** transit (you do not cross immigration) at LHR or LGW **You need an ETA if:** - You are a tourist (leisure) - You travel on business without a UK contract (meetings, conferences, trade shows) - You visit family or friends - You study for up to six months (short English-language course) - You connect **land-side** (you leave the international area, take another flight the next day) The most common confusion is transit. If you land at Heathrow and pick up another flight in the **same international area** without crossing passport control, you do not need an ETA. If you change terminals, retrieve luggage, sleep at a hotel — you do. When in doubt, apply. £20 will not bankrupt you. --- ### What it costs in 2026 and how to pay **TL;DR**: The official UK ETA fee is £20 since 9 April 2025, paid by credit or debit card only (Visa, Mastercard, Amex). US travelers pay in pounds directly, with no foreign transaction fee if you have a no-FTF travel credit card (Chase Sapphire, Capital One Venture, Amex Platinum). With FX and FTF the all-in cost runs USD 25-28. No US agency can "facilitate" — payment goes directly to the Home Office. Worth comparing to other authorisations US travelers also have to obtain: | Authorisation | Country | Fee | Validity | Stay | |---|---|---|---|---| | **ETA** | United Kingdom | £20 (~USD 25) | 2 years | 6 months/visit | | **ESTA** | United States | n/a for US citizens | — | — | | **eTA** | Canada | CAD 7 (~USD 5) | 5 years | 6 months/visit | | **ETA-IL** | Israel | USD 25 | 2 years | 90 days/visit | | **EES/ETIAS** | European Union | €7 (~USD 8) | 3 years | 90 days/180 | The UK ETA is the most expensive of the Western pre-authorisations, but still **infinitely cheaper** than the old UK tourist visa (£100) or the long-stay study visa (£524). And approval takes 72 hours, not 30 days. Payment accepts Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay. It does not accept debit Maestro or ACH. Prepaid cards (Wise, Revolut) work — tested. --- ### Step by step in the UK ETA app **TL;DR**: The whole process takes 10 minutes on a phone, via the official UK ETA app (Apple Store or Google Play). You need the passport, the front camera for the biometric selfie, and a credit card. The app beats the website because it scans the passport chip via NFC and eliminates typo errors. The exact sequence, in order: 1. **Download the UK ETA app** (publisher: "Home Office UK" — avoid clones) 2. **Scan the passport**: app asks you to hold the phone against the back cover of the passport (biometric chip). Works on any iPhone 7+ and Android with NFC. 3. **Take the facial photo**: selfie without glasses, hat or wide smile. Diffuse lighting, light background. The app validates in real time. 4. **Confirm personal data**: name, date of birth, full residential address (English only) 5. **Travel history**: list of countries visited in the last 10 years. No exact dates needed — just countries. 6. **Employability**: current profession, employer, approximate salary in USD/GBP. Self-employed put "self-employed". 7. **Security questions**: criminal convictions, terrorism, prior deportation, activity in conflict zones. Always answer **truthfully** — they cross-check Interpol. 8. **Pay £20** by card 9. **Immediate email confirmation** with application number 10. **Approval by email within 72 hours** with a PDF attached The PDF does not need to be printed. The ETA is electronically linked to your passport — UK Border Force at Heathrow reads it automatically. But saving the PDF on your phone is good practice in case of technical issues at boarding. --- ### The 4 most common reasons US ETAs get refused **TL;DR**: The global refusal rate is about 2% of applications, but for US travelers it climbs to 3-4% because of four recurring errors: a facial photo that fails the ICAO biometric standard, omitting an old criminal record (even if served), a history of overstay in Schengen, and a residential address that does not match the passport. **Error 1: wrong facial photo**. The ICAO biometric system requires a white or light grey background, centered face, no shadows, no prescription glasses (reflective lenses confuse it), no wide smile (closed mouth). The app rejects in real time, but the gov.uk site lets you pass with a bad photo and get refused later. **Error 2: omitting a criminal record**. Even an old DUI, even already served, even expired — declare it. The Home Office cross-checks international systems. Hiding it equals a permanent refusal. Declaring and explaining it equals approval in most non-violent cases. **Error 3: Schengen or other country overstay**. Anyone who stayed more than 90 days in the European Union or other Schengen states in the last 5 years lands in manual review. Not automatic refusal, but the analysis time doubles to 2-3 weeks. **Error 4: residential address different from the passport**. US travelers who moved after the passport was issued use their current address, not the one on the document. The system cross-checks global credit bureaus. If refused, you can reapply, but you have to **declare the previous refusal** on the new application. Hiding that triggers an automatic 10-year ban. --- ### What to do if the ETA has not arrived and the flight is tomorrow **TL;DR**: In 95% of cases the ETA comes through in 72h. When it is late, usually it is due to manual review on some answer to security questions. If the flight is in less than 24h and nothing has come, call UKVI (+44 203 875 4669) — the US consulate cannot fix it. As a last resort, rebook the flight: the airline does not board a passenger without an approved ETA, full stop. There is no official "express" ETA process. Unlike the eTA Canadian or some other systems, you cannot pay for a rush. What you can do: - **Check spam folder** in the registered email (90% of cases) - **Check status in the app** UK ETA (updates in real time) - **Call UKVI** from 8 am to 8 pm London (+44 203 875 4669) — staff speak English - **Email**: contact.ukvi@homeoffice.gov.uk with the application number in the subject If more than 3 weeks have passed, it is almost certainly manual review. Wait — pushing creates more delay. Typical case: US traveler with prior travel to Cuba or Iran, or a surname that matches a watchlist. **Worst case**: flight day arrives, ETA refused. The airline **does not board you**, full stop. You lose the flight (Basic Economy = lose everything. Main Cabin or Flex = rebook with fee). Reapply addressing the reason for the refusal. Do not try to board without an ETA from another airport — every UK airport uses the same integrated system. --- ### Children, infants and families: how it works **TL;DR**: Each person needs their own ETA, including newborns with their own passport. There is no family ETA or minor ETA linked to the parent's. Each costs £20. Infants need their own passport (the US issues from birth) and the facial photo uses the front camera even — the system accepts a baby in arms as long as the face appears centered. The documentation the app requests for minors is the same as for adults: valid US passport, facial photo, address, "occupation" (put "minor" or "student"), travel history. **Separated parents or traveling alone with a child**: the ETA does not require authorisation from the other parent — that is US-side at the US airport, not British. Handle parental authorisation in the US separately if needed. **Adopted children with a new surname**: the passport must be updated before applying. Apply with old name and arrive with new name = refused at the border. **Large families**: you can do all the ETAs in the same app, same account, same card. Each one comes out as a separate application. Total for a family of 4: £80 (~USD 100). --- ### Practical appendix - **Official website**: [gov.uk/get-eta](https://www.gov.uk/get-eta) - **Official app**: "UK ETA" on Apple Store / Google Play (publisher Home Office UK) - **UKVI support**: +44 203 875 4669 (8 am to 8 pm London time) - **UKVI email**: contact.ukvi@homeoffice.gov.uk - **British Embassy Washington**: +1 202 588 6500 (does not resolve ETA, only informs) - **Average application time**: 10 minutes in the app - **Approval time**: 72h typical, up to 21 days at peak - **Validity**: 2 years or passport expiration - **Total cost**: £20 (~USD 25 May 2026) - **Ideal lead time**: 1 month before the flight