UK ETA

Review by eFreeware

UK ETA is the official application from UK Visas and Immigration for requesting an electronic travel authorisation, the permission many visitors now need before entering the UK. It sits in the Travel & Local category and it is free to download. The main reason to consider it is convenience: instead of working through the process on a computer, you can complete the application from your phone.

The app has been available since October 2023 and has passed five million installs. Its average rating sits at 3.1 from 8,893 ratings, which is a mixed signal rather than a ringing endorsement. For a government utility, that number is less about polish and more about whether people can get the job done when they need to.

What follows is a look at who the app is built for, what the application involves, what it requires from your phone, what it costs and how it compares with handling the same request by other means.

The traveler this is built for

This is for people who need an ETA and would rather not sit at a computer to get one. If you have an Android phone with NFC and the passport you plan to travel on, the app is designed to take you through the whole thing on the handset itself.

The NFC requirement is the part to check first. The developer explains that if you can pay for things with contactless on your phone, then it has NFC, and that is a useful way to confirm it before you start. An older handset without that chip, or a phone running anything below Android 12, will not be able to complete the process.

You also need the passport you will travel with, a credit card, debit card or Apple Pay, and access to your email. The email part matters more than it first appears, because that is where the decision and the reference number arrive.

One restriction is worth flagging before you begin. If you are applying on behalf of someone else, that person has to be with you while you do it. When they are not, the developer directs people to apply online instead.

What the application involves

The process follows a fixed sequence. You photograph your passport, scan the chip inside it, scan your face, take a photo of yourself, answer some questions about yourself and then pay for the application. The developer puts the whole thing at around ten minutes.

The chip scan is the step that separates this from a plain web form. Reading the passport's chip is part of the process, and it is also why NFC is not optional. The face scan and the selfie come next.

One thing the app does not ask for is your travel details. You are not required to enter flight numbers or dates, which keeps the form shorter than you might expect. The questions are about you rather than your itinerary.

Payment closes the application. The developer lists credit card, debit card and Apple Pay as the accepted methods, so there is a way to pay whether you prefer a card or a wallet.

What happens after you submit

A decision arrives by email from UK Visas and Immigration. The developer says this usually happens within a day, and asks applicants to allow up to three working days, Monday to Friday. It can also come through much sooner than that.

The email carries your 16-digit ETA reference number. That number is worth keeping somewhere you can find it again.

The important instruction is about timing: do not travel to the UK until the confirmation email has arrived.

If you applied for several people at once, their decisions may come at different times, so one person receiving an email does not mean everyone else has. And if three working days pass with nothing in your inbox, the developer suggests checking your spam or junk folder before contacting UKVI.

Once you have an ETA, it is linked to the passport you applied with. At the border you only need to show that passport; there is no separate document to present.

What it costs and what it asks of your phone

The app itself is free to download, carries no advertising and offers no in-app purchases.

On privacy, the app keeps nothing on your phone once you close it. Once your application is done, the app can be removed. The app also links to the UK Cyber Aware website for general online safety guidance.

There is an accessibility statement published online for anyone who wants to read it before starting. The app was updated in August 2026 with performance improvements.

How it compares with applying online

The obvious alternative is the online route, which the developer itself points to for anyone applying on someone else's behalf when that person is not present. That is the main scenario where the app cannot help you and the website can.

Beyond that, the choice comes down to your hardware. An NFC-equipped Android phone running Android 12 or later makes the app the more direct option, since the passport chip scan and the face scan happen right there. A phone without NFC pushes you back toward the web form.

There is also the question of how much you value doing this yourself versus having someone walk you through it. This is a government tool, so it suits people who are comfortable following a sequence of steps on their own. Anyone who would rather have assistance may find the online process, or help from someone who has done it before, easier to manage.

What the app is not is a travel companion. It exists to get one specific application submitted and decided, and once that email lands, its work is done.

A straightforward tool for one specific job

I would treat this as a purpose-built utility rather than something to keep on your phone long term. It does one job, said to take around ten minutes, and afterwards you can remove it. If you need an ETA and you have the right phone, there is little reason to go another route.

The requirements are the deciding factor. Check those boxes before you start and the process should be uneventful.

The 3.1 average from 8,893 ratings is worth acknowledging. It suggests a fair number of people have found the experience frustrating.

For a traveler with a modern Android handset who wants the application done and dusted from their phone, this is the direct route. For anyone without NFC, or applying for someone who is not beside them, the online process is the one the developer itself points to.

What's new in version 2.42.1068

Performance improvements