UK ETA: The most common application mistakes and how to avoid them

Picture this: you’ve booked flights to London. Hotel is sorted. Itinerary planned.

Then you get to the airport. The check-in agent asks for your UK ETA. And you have no idea what they’re talking about.

It happens more than you think. The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation, the ETA, became mandatory for most international visitors in early 2025. If you’re traveling from the US, Canada, Australia, the EU, or dozens of other countries, you now need one before you board. Not on arrival. Before you board.

It isn’t a visa. Most people get a decision in minutes. But it’s new, it’s unfamiliar, and the mistakes people make during the UK ETA application follow a very familiar pattern.

Here are the five UK ETA mistakes our visa experts see most often.

Mistake 1: Not knowing the UK ETA exists

For years, travelers from the US, Australia, Canada, and across Europe could visit the UK with just a passport. No forms, no fees, no advance authorization. You just showed up.

That changed in 2025. The ETA has been mandatory for over a year now, but it’s still catching people out.

Airlines and booking platforms flag when you don’t have one. And while they try to remind you with confirmation emails, check-in reminders, and booking terms, travel admin has a way of getting lost in a crowded inbox. By the time you’re at the departure gate, the notification is buried somewhere in a thread they stopped reading weeks ago.

It’s not complicated to apply for a UK ETA. However, a surprising number of travelers, even frequent ones, are still arriving at the airport without one.

“We still see a lot of people who are genuinely surprised that the UK requires pre-travel authorization now,” says Victor Gimenez, Director of Customer Experience, iVisa. “They’re experienced travelers. They’ve been to the UK before. But the rules changed, and they were caught off guard. The ETA is straightforward. The problem is people finding out about it at the wrong moment.”

Mistake 2: Leaving the application too late

Most ETA applications get approved quickly, often within minutes.

But some applications are flagged for additional review. When that happens, it can take up to three working days, or longer. If you’re days away from a non-refundable trip, that’s a stressful place to be.

There’s a simple fix: Apply early. A UKETA is valid for two years and covers multiple trips. You apply once and it’s done. Sort it when you’ve booked your flights and you’ll never think about it again.

Mistake 3: Not realizing your UK ETA is tied to a specific passport

Your ETA is linked to the specific passport you used when you applied. Renew your passport, for any reason, and that ETA is no longer valid.

This one catches people who got their ETA early in the scheme, then renewed their passport a few months later without making the connection. Before you travel, check that your UK ETA is active and that it matches the passport you’re actually carrying. If you’ve had a new passport issued since applying, you’ll need a new ETA.

Mistake 4: Typos

The UK ETA application system is automated. It matches your details to your passport digitally, at check-in, at the border, at every step. One wrong character in your passport number. A transposed digit in your date of birth. A name that doesn’t exactly match your travel document. Any of those can cause a problem.

When you fill out the application, use the machine-readable zone, the two lines of text at the bottom of your passport’s photo page. Check every field before you submit.

Mistake 5: Forgetting that every traveler needs their own UK ETA, including children

Every person traveling to the UK needs their own ETA. Every adult. Every child. Every baby.

It’s an easy thing to miss when you’re coordinating travel for multiple people. One person handles the bookings and assumes everyone’s covered. Or everyone assumes someone else sorted it. Either way, someone ends up at the airport without one.

If you’re traveling with others, be explicit about it. The good news is that iVisa lets you manage multiple applications in one place. You can handle the whole group together without losing track of who’s been sorted and who hasn’t. Don’t assume. Check.

What to do now

If you’re planning on a trip to the United Kingdom, start here:

Do you need a UK ETA? Nationals of visa-exempt countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the EU and EEA states need an ETA for short visits of up to six months.

If you’ve been to the UK recently, is your existing ETA still valid? Confirm it’s active and that it’s linked to the passport you’re traveling on. If you’ve renewed your passport since applying, you’ll need a new one.

Ready to apply for your UK ETA? iVisa makes the process clear and straightforward. You’ll answer a short set of questions, submit the UK ETA requirements, and receive your authorization. No navigating government portals, no deciphering official guidance.

One thing worth being clear about: ETA decisions are made by the UK Home Office, not by iVisa. No third-party service can guarantee approval or a specific timeline. What iVisa does is make sure your application is accurate, complete, and submitted correctly so there are no surprises (and delays) along the way.

Apply early. Check your details. Make sure everyone in your group has their UK ETA. Then get on with planning the actual trip.