Yes. US citizens need an ETA, an electronic travel authorisation, to visit the UK. GOV.UK says it costs £20, lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, and lets you stay up to 6 months at a time. We read the GOV.UK pages on 15 October 2026.
What GOV.UK says about the ETA
Note: "Most visitors need an ETA or a visa." People from the USA usually need an ETA rather than a visa. An ETA costs £20. It lets you travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months (GOV.UK, gov.uk/eta, read 15 Oct 2026)
Note: "An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner." You can travel as many times as you want while you have one. It costs £20 to apply in the UK ETA app or online (GOV.UK, gov.uk/eta/apply, read 15 Oct 2026)
Note: Since when: "From today (25 February), it will be mandatory for visitors to the UK to have obtained digital permission to travel." Nationals of 85 countries, including the United States, are covered. Airlines check, and will stop you boarding without an ETA, eVisa or other valid papers (GOV.UK news release, "UK enforces digital permission to travel", read 15 Oct 2026)
Note: Fee change: the same release gave the fee as £16. The Home Office fee table dated 8 April 2026 lists the ETA at £16, then £20 from 8 April 2026. The newer table dated 8 October 2026 still lists £20 (GOV.UK, "Home Office immigration and nationality fees", 8 April 2026 and 8 October 2026 editions, read 15 Oct 2026)
How to apply
| Step | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| Where | The UK ETA app from Google Play or the App Store, or online if you cannot use the app |
| What you scan | Your passport and your face, with your phone camera |
| Fee | £20 |
| Time | Usually a decision by email within a day, up to 3 working days |
| Passport | The ETA is linked to the passport you applied with |
Source: gov.uk/eta/apply, read 15 Oct 2026.
Apply only through the app or GOV.UK. GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more and that some copy government services. The ETA page is at gov.uk/eta.
Layovers and transit
Note: You do not need an ETA if you pass through a UK airport without going through border control (airside transit). GOV.UK says to "check with your airline if you are not sure" (GOV.UK, gov.uk/eta/when-not-need-eta, read 15 Oct 2026)
Note: "You need an ETA if you're passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing your onward journey" (GOV.UK, gov.uk/eta, read 15 Oct 2026)
So the test is simple. If you stay in the transit area, you do not need one. If you walk out through UK border control during the layover, you do. The Home Office's August 2026 visa list for carriers says landside passengers include people who change airport, collect baggage, or land at an airport where no airside transfer is possible. The 25 February 2026 news release also says ETAs are mandatory for visitors who take connecting flights and go through passport control.
Is the airside exemption temporary? GOV.UK's ETA guide lists it as a plain exemption and does not call it temporary (gov.uk/eta/when-not-need-eta, read 15 Oct 2026). Rules can still change, so check GOV.UK and your airline close to your flight date.
Children
Each person needs an ETA, including babies and children. On the UK ETA app, you can apply for someone else if they are with you. Whether a child pays the same £20 is not confirmed. The page says £20 to apply and does not mention a child rate.
Irish citizens and residents of Ireland
British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA. A dual citizen cannot get one and should travel on a valid British or Irish passport.
GOV.UK also lists an exemption for people who live in Ireland and arrive from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. It applies only to nationalities that would otherwise need an ETA, which includes US citizens. You must show proof of Irish residence, such as an Irish driving licence, medical card, GP visit card or Irish Residence Permit. Children under 16 do not need to show proof (gov.uk/eta/when-not-need-eta, read 15 Oct 2026).
If you live in the US but are not a US citizen
Indian, Filipino and Chinese passport holders cannot get a UK ETA. They need a UK visa to visit, unless they qualify for another exemption.
Note: GOV.UK's list of nationalities that can apply for an ETA (last updated 9 April 2026) does not include India, the Philippines or China. It says "Other nationalities cannot get an ETA" and points to the visa check instead (GOV.UK, "Check if you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)", read 15 Oct 2026)
Note: The Home Office document "UK visa requirements: list for carriers" lists China, India and the Philippines among the countries whose nationals need a visa to enter the UK (August 2026 edition, GOV.UK page updated 3 Aug 2026, read 15 Oct 2026)
GOV.UK's "Check if you need a UK visa" tool gives the answer for your own case. It runs as a questionnaire, so we could not read its results for these three passports. Run it yourself at gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
A US visa or US green card does not appear in the pages we read as a way around the UK visa. Whether either one changes the UK entry rule is not confirmed. The Home Office document does list certain US visas as a way to transit airside without a UK visa, with conditions. Read the conditions on GOV.UK before you rely on that.
What we checked and what can change
Read on 15 October 2026: GOV.UK's ETA overview (gov.uk/eta), its apply page (gov.uk/eta/apply), its page on who does not need an ETA (gov.uk/eta/when-not-need-eta), its list of nationalities that can get an ETA (updated 9 April 2026), the news release "UK enforces digital permission to travel" (25 February 2026), the Home Office fee tables of 8 April 2026 and 8 October 2026, the GOV.UK visa check start page, and the Home Office "UK visa requirements: list for carriers" (August 2026).
Not confirmed: a dollar price, a child fee, the result of the visa check for Indian, Filipino and Chinese passports, and whether a US visa or green card changes the UK rule. The fee, the nationality list and the transit rule can change. Read GOV.UK the week you book.
