ETIAS vs ESTA vs eTA vs UK ETA: one table, fees and who needs which

Four governments ask, or will ask, visa-exempt visitors to apply online before they travel, and the four schemes have near-identical names. The US has the ESTA, Canada has the eTA, the UK has the ETA, and the EU has ETIAS, which has not started. They differ on fee, validity, how fast they are decided and, most of all, whether they exist yet.

The table puts the figures in one place. The rest of the page gives the rule behind each column, shows who needs which, and lists the single official site for each. Everything was read on the official pages on 2 October 2026.

Two cells need a note. The ESTA fee changes on 16 October 2026, two weeks after this check. And the ETIAS column describes a scheme the EU has described but not switched on, so none of its figures can be used to apply yet.

Each rule below comes from the government that runs the scheme. None of the four is a visa. The UK and Canada both say an authorization does not guarantee entry, and a border officer still decides.

UK ETA

The UK's ETA lets visitors who do not need a visa travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months. GOV.UK says it costs £20, that it lasts 2 years or until the passport expires, and that you will usually get a decision by email within a day but it can take up to 3 working days. British and Irish passport holders do not need one.

The official pages are GOV.UK's ETA overview and its apply page. GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more than the official fee.

US ESTA

CBP describes the ESTA as the automated system that determines eligibility to travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Program. Travelers need it before boarding a US-bound plane or vessel. The authorization is typically granted for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner, and the program allows stays of 90 days or less.

The official site is esta.cbp.dhs.gov, and CBP's ESTA page links to it. The DHS notice that sets the new fee was published in the Federal Register on 1 October 2026 and states that CBP begins assessing the new amount on 16 October 2026. It splits the $40.62 into $17, $10.62 and $13. Our ESTA guide covers eligibility questions.

Canada eTA

Canada's eTA is for visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or through a Canadian airport. It is not needed to arrive by car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship, and US citizens are exempt.

The official pages are the Government of Canada's eTA page, its eTA facts and its eligibility page. Most applications are approved within minutes. If documents are needed, the application page says an email with instructions arrives within 72 hours.

EU ETIAS

ETIAS is the EU's planned authorization for visa-exempt travelers to 30 European countries. The European Commission's policy page says it is currently not in operation and that no applications are collected. It will cost €20, with an exemption for applicants under 18 or over 70, and will be valid for three years or until the passport expires.

The official pages are the Commission's ETIAS policy page and the EU's ETIAS website. The decision times in the table come from the EU's information page for non-EU delegations, which says most applications are decided within minutes and that a manual check can take up to 4 days. That page still shows the old €7 fee, so use the Commission's €20 figure. See the ETIAS guide for the details.

Start from the route, then check your passport. A trip to the US by air or sea needs an ESTA if your country is in the Visa Waiver Program, which includes the UK. A trip to Canada by air needs an eTA if your country is visa-exempt. A trip to the UK needs an ETA unless you are a British or Irish citizen or hold UK permission to live, work or study. A trip to Schengen countries needs ETIAS once it starts.

Three examples show how the rules combine. A US citizen needs a UK ETA, does not need a Canada eTA, and will need ETIAS when it starts. A UK citizen needs an ESTA for the US, may need an eTA for Canada if flying, and will need ETIAS when it starts, unless covered by the Withdrawal Agreement exemption. A Canadian citizen needs a UK ETA, does not need an ESTA, and will need ETIAS when it starts.

A few groups sit outside the schemes. Holders of a UK visa do not need a UK ETA, and British and Irish citizens never do. Canadian citizens do not need the Canada eTA. Dual citizens should travel on the passport that matches the exemption, because a second passport can make them ineligible: Canada's advice says a Canadian who holds another European nationality cannot apply for ETIAS and must travel on the European passport.

Transit counts in some schemes. Canada requires an eTA to fly through a Canadian airport. The ESTA is also needed to transit the US, according to CBP. The UK ETA does not apply to people who stay airside without passing border control.

Each scheme has one official application, and the steps are short. Apply on the official site or app, use the passport you will travel with, pay by card and keep the confirmation with your booking.

• ESTA: go to esta.cbp.dhs.gov. CBP says applications can be submitted at any time before travel and recommends applying as soon as you begin planning, or before you buy tickets.

• Canada eTA: apply on the Government of Canada site with a valid passport, an email address and a Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit, UnionPay or JCB card. The form cannot be saved, so have your details ready.

• UK ETA: apply on the UK ETA app or on GOV.UK. A decision comes by email, and the Home Office factsheet suggests applying at least three working days before travel.

• ETIAS: there is nothing to submit yet. When it opens, the EU says applications will go through an official website or mobile app.

Every authorization is tied to a passport, which is why the "valid for" row ends with the passport's expiry date. Global Affairs Canada's advice on the UK says you must travel on the passport used for your ETA application. For ETIAS, the EU's information page says applicants need a passport valid for more than three months when they apply and valid three months after the intended departure on arrival. A renewed passport therefore means a new application under any of the four, so check the expiry date before you apply and not after.

Other sites sell the same forms at a higher price. GOV.UK tells applicants to avoid third-party websites that charge more than the official £20, and the FCDO's Canada page warns that some unauthorised websites charge for submitting applications. Check the web address against the official pages linked above before you pay, and treat any ETIAS offer today as not official, since the system has not opened.

The biggest open question is ETIAS timing. A Commission news item of 28 April 2026 said ETIAS was scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026 and that the exact date would be communicated later in the year. The Commission's ETIAS policy page, read on 2 October 2026, gives no quarter. It says the EU will announce the specific date several months before launch, and no date had been announced. The same Commission news item says the Entry/Exit System has been fully operational across Schengen countries since 10 April 2026. That is a separate border registration, not a fee or an application.

The ESTA fee rises from $40.27 to $40.62 on 16 October 2026, under the DHS notice of 1 October 2026 that adjusts the fee for inflation. For the UK ETA, GOV.UK announced on 24 February 2026 that from 25 February 2026 airlines would stop passengers boarding without an ETA, and that announcement gave the fee as £16. The ETA pages now give £20. Canada's eTA page, last updated 5 June 2026 according to the page, still shows CAD 7.

For the full rules on each scheme, see the guides to ETIAS, the ESTA, the UK ETA and the Canada eTA. For stay limits country by country, see visa-free stay limits compared. The 90/180 rule explains how Schengen days are counted.

Our travel insurance guides explain what to look for.