Visa-free doesn't mean form-free any more

"Do I need a visa?" used to be a yes-or-no question. For a lot of trips the honest answer is now "no, but…". The "but" is an online form you must have approved before the airline lets you board.

These are electronic travel authorisations. They're cheaper and faster than a visa, but forgetting one ruins a trip just as well. Here's who wants one.

The UK now wants one from almost everyone

The UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) applies to visitors who don't need a visa: Americans, Canadians and Australians, and since 2 April 2025 EU citizens too (Irish citizens excepted). With it you can usually stay up to six months. Europeans used to crossing to London on a whim now need to plan ahead.

The ones you may already know

• United States: ESTA. Needed by Visa Waiver Program travellers, along with a chipped e-passport. Stays of up to 90 days.
• Canada: eTA. CAD $7, for visa-exempt travellers arriving by air. Most visitors can stay up to six months.
• Australia: ETA. Applied for through the official Australian ETA app, with an AUD 20 service charge. Valid for 12 months, for stays of up to three months at a time. Citizens of EU countries such as Germany and France use the free eVisitor instead.
• New Zealand: NZeTA. From NZD 17, plus a NZD 100 tourism levy paid at the same time. Valid for two years. Americans can stay up to three months per visit, and no more than six months in any 12.

Kenya scrapped visa-on-arrival

Kenya replaced its visa-on-arrival system with an eTA that almost every nationality needs. The standard one costs USD 30, and you must enter Kenya within 90 days of it being issued. How long you can stay is decided by the officer at the border, up to six months. Americans can also buy a five-year multiple-entry eTA for USD 185.

South Korea's is waived, for now

Korea's K-ETA is currently waived for 22 countries, including the US, UK and Germany, until 31 December 2026. More on that in our 2026 rule changes.

South Africa launched one, with few details

South Africa's ETA went live on 12 August 2026 at Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport, according to the Department of Home Affairs. Its announcement didn't say who needs it or what it costs. Until an official source does, US and UK visitors' visa-free entry for up to 90 days still applies.

Europe's is still coming

ETIAS, the EU's version, will cost €20 and last three years. Under-18s and over-70s won't pay the fee but will still need the authorisation. It is not open yet, and no start date has been announced. Any website taking ETIAS applications today is not the official one. Our ETIAS tracker will change the day that does.

How not to get caught out

Apply on the government's own site or app. Lookalike "visa service" sites charge several times the real fee for the same form. And check the requirement for your exact passport: the same country can ask Americans for an ETA and let others in with nothing. Trip Check shows it for your passport, with the source.