From 8th January 2025, travellers from visa-exempt countries like the United States and Canada will need to apply for an ETA before visiting the UK. From 2nd April 2025, all visitors who do not need a visa, except British and Irish citizens, will need an ETA to travel to the UK.
Much like the ESTA you would apply for before visiting the United States, the ETA is a visa-waiver and allows visa-exempt visitors to get pre-approval before they arrive in the UK. This speeds up the arrivals process once you get here, and means you can be exploring the country even faster than before.
The ETA is a digital authorisation required for non-visa nationals visiting the UK. Anyone from an eligible country will need to get one before they visit us - click here to visit the ETA UK Government page for more details about who needs one.