What is an ESTA and an ETA?

Different countries offer a visa waiver for UK citizens and citizens of other selected countries, which means that you will not need a visa to stay in those countries for a certain amount of time. However, they still require the traveller to apply for pre-authorisation prior to travelling. These countries include the Untied States, Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka and American Samoa.

The United States issue an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) and the others issue an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). They are very similar to e-visas, as they involve filling in an online form and submitting scans of your passport, along with some other documents, before printing out the Authorisation and taking with you to your destination country. More information regarding ESTAs and ETAs can be found on our service pages.