UK ETA processing time: when to apply before you fly
Independent site, not a government service: you apply only on GOV.UK or in the official UK ETA app.
Enter your departure date: the calculator subtracts the official delay, counted in calendar days so that a weekend does not catch you out.
Apply at the latest on
November 9, 2026
16 days left
GOV.UK: usually within a day, up to 3 working days.
Our margin: calendar days covering the longest official delay, weekends included.
Apply only at gov.uk/eta
GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision on a UK ETA by email within a day, but that it can take up to three working days, and that you must not travel until the email confirming your ETA has arrived. Working days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and UK bank holidays, so an application sent on a Friday evening may only be decided on the following Wednesday. That is why the calculator above counts five calendar days back from your departure: it covers three working days plus a weekend. There is no paid fast track: the fee is £20 whatever the timing, and GOV.UK states that applying through another website or app does not get you a faster decision. When you apply for several people, each decision can arrive at a different time. If nothing has arrived after three working days, look in your spam folder before contacting UK Visas and Immigration through its webchat. Once granted, the ETA lasts two years, so a frequent traveller only waits once.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
What the official text says
The GOV.UK application page gives three facts: a decision usually arrives by email within a day; it can take up to three working days; and you must wait for the email confirming your ETA before you travel. It gives no figure for complex cases, and we do not invent one.
Three working days, five calendar days
Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding UK bank holidays. A Thursday afternoon application can therefore run into the next Tuesday. Counting five calendar days back from your departure, as the calculator does, covers the worst case with a weekend in the middle. Around Christmas, Easter or the late May and August bank holidays, add a further day or two.
| Application sent | Decision usually | Up to three working days |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Tuesday | Thursday |
| Wednesday | Thursday | Monday |
| Friday | Saturday or Monday | Wednesday |
Once you have it, you keep it
The wait only happens once every two years, as long as your passport stays valid. Before booking a new trip, check that your existing ETA still covers the arrival date: enter its issue date and your passport expiry below.
Is my authorisation still valid?
Valid until
October 23, 2027
Covers your arrival date
| Term of the authorisation | 2 years |
| Limited by the passport | no |
A new passport cancels the link: the authorisation is tied to the passport you applied with.
What can slow an application
GOV.UK names one cause itself: a face photo that does not meet the digital photo rules can delay the application or get it rejected. Answer the questions on criminal convictions and immigration history accurately, use the passport you will travel with, and give an email address you check. A rejected application means applying again and paying £20 again.
Compared with other countries
Canada approves most eTAs within minutes but may ask for documents within 72 hours; New Zealand asks you to allow 72 hours for an NZeTA. The Canada eTA page and the NZeTA page give their own apply-by dates.