UK ETA for Australians: entry, transit and passport checks

Start with citizenship and existing permission

Use GOV.UK’s eligibility checker with the passport you will travel on and the purpose of the visit. British and Irish citizens and people with specified existing UK permission have different requirements. Dual British or Irish citizens should follow the government’s document guidance rather than assume they can obtain an ETA on their Australian passport.

Airside and landside are different

GOV.UK currently exempts passengers transiting without passing UK border control from the ETA requirement. An eligible Australian passenger who passes border control for a connection generally needs an ETA unless another exemption applies. Ask the airline about your precise booking, baggage and terminal arrangements; staying inside an airport building does not prove you remain airside.

Application and validity checks

• The official fee checked on 16 October 2026 is £20. Begin from GOV.UK to avoid imitation application sites.
• Apply for each person who needs one, including children; check the official processing guidance before booking a tight departure.
• Use the passport you will travel with. Check the approval and expiry through the official service, particularly after renewing a passport.
• ETA validity concerns travel authorisation. The permission to stay granted on entry is a separate question; an ETA expiring during an authorised visit does not by itself require a new application to continue that stay.

A connection example

Hypothetical example: a traveller arrives at Heathrow and continues overseas. If the airline confirms an airside transfer without border control, the current airside ETA exemption is relevant. If the traveller instead collects baggage landside or stays in a landside hotel, reassess entry requirements. These two bookings cannot be judged from the airport code alone.

What approval does not establish

An ETA does not guarantee admission or authorise every activity. Check the permitted purpose and visit conditions, keep the approval accessible, and leave enough time to resolve an application issue before departure.