New entry rules – and fees – for Australians to visit the UK

While you can still arrive at London’s Heathrow Airport, flash your Aussie passport and head to the nearest pub for a pint of Old Peculier, those days are about to end. Australians will soon need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter the UK. This is a visa waiver, similar to the ESTA system introduced by the US in 2008.

Australians arriving in the UK from January 8, 2025, will need a new visa-waiver authorisation.Credit: Bloomberg

The new rules

Except for British and Irish citizens, British Overseas Territory Citizens (BOTC) travelling on a BOTC passport, and anyone with permission to enter and stay in the UK, every incoming eligible traveller regardless of age will require an ETA. That includes anyone transiting through the UK. “Eligible” travellers are those nationals who are considered a low risk of overstaying or a low security risk, and therefore need not apply for an actual visa.

ETAs will be required for travellers with Australian passports starting January 8, 2025, but you can begin the application process now.

Travellers with passports from European Union countries will need an ETA from April 2 (thank Brexit) and can apply from March 5.

The ETA costs £10 ($19) and takes up to three days to process.Credit: Getty Images

The ETA costs £10 ($19) and the fastest way to apply is via the UK ETA app, available from the App Store and Google Play. You can also apply online.

Applicants need a valid biometric passport and an email address. To submit an application, you need a photo of the data page of the passport you’ll be using to enter the UK. You also need to upload a selfie, answer some questions (including name, date of birth, nationality and details of any criminal convictions) and pay the fee. Your travel information is not required. The Home Office will then carry out checks related to identity, crime, immigration history and security. According to the UK government, you can expect a response within three working days.

Once granted, an ETA allows you to stay in the UK for up to six months – the same amount of time Australian passport-holders have been permitted to remain previously. As well as tourism and visiting family and friends, the ETA permits business and study visits. It’s valid for two years, and during that period you can travel to the UK as many times as you want.

You can’t live in the UK through “frequent or successive visits” with the ETA, but it might be possible to stay in the UK for six months, travel around Europe or another continent for a reasonable period, then re-enter the UK for another six months. According to UK immigration law specialists A Y and J Solicitors, “there is no set limit on the number of times you can visit the UK in a year”.

“Frequent long-term visits may lead to questioning and potential refusal of entry … It is essential to maintain evidence of your travel patterns and demonstrate that you are not attempting to reside in the UK.”

When the ETA system comes into effect, Australians over 10 can use the automatic ePassport gates on arrival in the UK. Those aged between 10 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

The rationale for electronic visa waivers

E-visas for travellers are becoming common. As well as the long-running ESTA system in the US, Canada has had the eTA since 2015, and Europe will soon introduce the ETIAS electronic travel authorisation scheme for nationals of visa-exempt countries. India has the eVisa, although passengers are still manually processed upon arrival.

All these schemes allow nationals who pose a low security concern or risk of overstaying to enter a country without the more rigorous process of applying for a visa. It’s also a method of pre-screening visitors before they arrive. According to Priti Patel, the UK’s previous home secretary responsible for introducing the ETA, the system would work for the “law-abiding majority” and against people who attempt to “abuse our hospitality and generous spirit”.

Australia operates a similar eVisa system known as the Subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority, allowing eligible visitors to stay for up to three months at a time. That includes travellers with passports from the US, Canada, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore, and most European countries. New Zealand citizens require only a valid passport to enter.

Beware scams

Scams are common when it comes to e-visas and visa waivers. Scammers will set up a website that looks a lot like the official website – and they’ll pay for it to show up at the top of search results. Those websites typically charge an exorbitant administration fee that far exceeds the official charge.

They’ve been at it for years with the US ESTA, and because they are technically providing a “service” (by taking your details and then filling out the form on the official site so you actually get the visa waiver), they’re hard to shut down. Read more about the issue here and expect the scammers to be all over the new UK ETA. One red flag will be if the site you’re on doesn’t have “.gov” in the web address to indicate it’s an official government site.