How To Apply For The UK ETA

If you were planning to visit the United Kingdom anytime soon, the entry requirements have changed. As of January 8 2025, American and Canadian travelers will require an ETA to travel to the UK.

What is an ETA?

An ETA is an Electronic Travel Authorisation. The UK ETA costs £10 (although there are talks of it increasing to £16) and everyone in the traveling party needs to get one, including children and babies. It allows you to visit the UK for a period of up to six months and is also required if you’re transiting through the UK AND passing through border control (if you’re on a layover and NOT passing border control, you don’t need one).

What is needed to apply for the UK ETA?

To apply for the UK ETA, you will need the following:

• The passport you’ll be traveling with
• A smartphone
• A payment method (credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google wallet)

How do I apply for the ETA?

There are two ways to apply for the UK ETA:

• Through the UK ETA app [​Apple iOS​ | ​Android​]
• The​ UK gov website​ (note that they really insist on using the app though)

How to apply for the UK ETA via the app for Canadian citizens

1. Download and install the app either on iOS​ or ​Android​
2. Tap through the initial screens and tap the “Continue” button
3. Tap “Start now”
4. Tap “Agree and continue” on the Privacy and terms of use screen
5. Enter your email address and tap “Continue”
6. Enter the 6-digit code sent to your email and tap “Continue” (note that the code expires in 10 minutes)
7. Enter your phone number and tap “Continue”
8. Tap “Yes” or “No” to answer the “Does your passport have a biometric chip?” question (most recent Canadian passports have one, so the answer should be yes)
9. Tap “Continue” on the screen instructing how to take a photo of your passport
10. Allow UK ETA to take pictures and record video via your phone’s permission settings
11. Take a picture of your passport
12. Tap “Continue” on the “Image taken” screen
13. Tap “Continue” on the passport chip access screen
14. Place the phone on your passport and hold still
15. Tap “Ok” on the Access chip completed pop-up
16. Tap “Scan face” on the Scan your face with your phone’s camera screen
17. Hold the phone to your face with your face in the oval, and wait for the camera to scan it (this did not work for me)
18. Tap “Continue” on the Take your photo screen
19. Tap “Next” on the photo requirements screen
20. Take your photo with your face inside the oval
21. Tap “Use this photo” when the photo meets the requirement
22. Enter your home address and tap “Continue”
23. If you have any nationalities other than Canada, add them on the Nationalities screen and tap “Continue” (just tap “Continue” if Canada is your sole nationality)
24. Answer the “Do you have a job?” question and tap “Continue” (if you answer yes, you’ll be prompted to enter your job)
25. Answer the “Have you ever had a criminal conviction?” question
26. Answer the “Have you even been involved in, or suspected of, any of the following?” question
27. Review your answers and tap “Continue”
28. Tap “Continue to payment” in the Declaration screen
29. Enter “Canada” in the “Which country you’re applying from?” screen
30. You will be charged in USD. Tap “Continue to payment”
31. Select a payment method
32. Confirm payment
33. You will get a UK ETA reference number and an email confirming the application

Although the official website states that you will get a decision within 3 working days, people applying through the app have reported getting approval within minutes so it should be a quick and painless process

How to apply for the UK ETA via the website for Canadian citizens

1. Take a picture of the passport you will use to travel to the UK.
2. Take a picture of yourself with a plain white background
3. Navigate to https://apply-for-an-eta.homeoffice.gov.uk/apply/electronic-travel-authorisation/how-to-apply and click “Continue”
4. Enter your email address and click “Continue”
5. Enter the 6-digit code sent to your email and click “Continue” (note that the code expires in 10 minutes)
6. Click “Continue” on the screen instructing how to take a picture of your passport
7. Upload the picture of your passport taken in Step 1 and click “Continue”
8. Click “Continue” on the photo approved screen
9. Review your passport information and click “Continue”
10. On the “Scan your face” screen, you can either skip or click “Continue”. I opted to skip
11. If you skipped the face scan, click “Continue” on the picture requirements screen
12. Upload the picture of yourself taken in Step 2
13. If your photo meets the requirements, select “Yes, I want to use this photo” and click “Continue”
14. Answer the “Do you have a phone number?” question and click “Continue” (If you answer yes, you will be prompted to enter your phone number)
15. Enter your home address and click “Continue”
16. If you have any nationalities other than Canada, click “Yes” on the Nationalities screen and click “Continue” (just click “Continue” if Canada is your sole nationality)
17. Answer the “Do you have a job?” question and click “Continue” (if you answer yes, you’ll be prompted to enter your job)
18. Answer the “Have you ever had a criminal conviction?” question and click “Continue”
19. Answer the “Have you even been involved in, or suspected of, any of the following?” question and click “Continue”
20. Review your home address and click “Continue”
21. Review your answers and click “Continue”
22. Click “Continue to payment” in the Declaration screen
23. Enter “Canada” in the “Which country you’re applying from?” screen and click “Continue”
24. You will be charged in USD. Tap “Continue to payment on Worldpay”
25. Select a payment method and click “Make Payment”
26. You will get a UK ETA reference number and an email confirming the application

There you have it. A step-by-step guide to apply for the UK ETA as a Canadian traveler. I hope it helps you successfully submit your application.