Guidance for UK travel & ETA Information FAQs

All non-EU and EU citizens, including children under 18 (who do not need a visa for short stays or who do not have any other UK immigration status) will need an ETA to travel to or transit through the UK. 

You do not need an ETA to travel to the UK if:

• you’re a British or Irish citizen

• you have a UK visa

• you have permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status or right of abode) 

• you’re travelling with a British Overseas Territories citizen passport

• you’re travelling with a British National (Overseas) passport

• you live in Ireland and you’re travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man

If you’re a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you do not need an ETA when you travel to the UK. Instead, you’ll need to prove your citizenship using:

• a valid British passport

• a valid Irish passport

• another valid passport containing a certificate of entitlement 

ETA applications can be made online at the official ETA website or via the UK ETA app (available on the Google Play and Apple app stores).  

An ETA costs £16 per person and is valid for a period of two years from the date of issue (or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner). A single ETA permits you multiple entries into the UK and a maximum six month stay in any one visit.

Your ETA lasts for two years, and you can travel to the UK as many times as you want during that time. If you get a new passport, you will need to get a new ETA as it is linked to the passport you applied with. 

In most cases you’ll receive a decision on your ETA within three days, but we recommend applying for your ETA as soon as possible in the lead-up to your voyage in case of delays. 

Proof of an ETA will be required to board your voyage. Failure to present one will result in you being denied boarding at your own expense.   Please carry proof of your ETA status (either a printout or a screenshot) for the duration of your voyage, as you will need to present this when asked.

If you are entering the UK or your voyage departs from, disembarks in, or enters the UK for a port of call, and you are a non UK citizen (who doesn’t require a visa for travel), you will need an ETA for your journey, even if you are not planning on leaving your ship. 

More information on ETA requirements can be found on the UK Government website. We recommend familiarising yourself with these requirements to ensure you have all the correct paperwork needed to travel.

Yes, any voyage that includes port calls to the UK requires an ETA, even if you do not disembark the ship.