With the exact regex the official site enforces, the error message it returns, and what you probably did wrong. Pre-check your values in the ETA page's local validator before pasting.
Use the passport you will carry. The app photographs the original passport and may scan its chip; the online route needs a clear photo of the passport page.
^[A-Z0-9]{1,20}$
max 20Check every family and given name read from the passport photo or chip. Correct any scan error before continuing.
Match the passport date. This local checker uses YYYY-MM-DD; use the controls provided by the official application.
Use an inbox you control and can open while travelling. Check the spelling before payment.
Enter your current home address. Keep it separate from any travel accommodation.
Describe your current job or situation accurately. Do not invent an employer if you are unemployed, retired, or studying.
Answer for every nationality you hold, not only the passport used for this trip. Add the details requested after a Yes answer.
Answer truthfully. For Yes, give the offence, conviction date, and sentence in as much detail as possible.
Complete this only for an applicant under 18. The applicant also needs a face photo; an app applicant aged 10 or over needs a face scan.
The official site shows a confirmation on screen. Screenshot it — that's your backup.
Within a few minutes from a gov.uk address, with the record details.
Wait for the decision email and keep the 16-digit ETA reference number. The ETA is linked to the passport used in the application; it does not guarantee entry.
Screenshot is fine. PDF is fine. Even the email app open on your phone is fine.
Rare. Officer looks you up by passport number — your record is already in the system.
Use the passport you will carry. Apply through GOV.UK or the UK ETA app published by the Home Office. The official fee is £20 for each person, including every baby and child. There is no family discount.
The checker below covers the 9 text field groups in data/rules/uk.json. It runs in your browser and sends nothing to us. The live Home Office application controls the final questions.
The official process also requires a passport image and a face photo. The app may scan the passport chip. App applicants aged 10 or over complete a face scan. Those image and scan steps are not reproduced by this local checker.
Type your details below. We never send them anywhere. This runs 100% in your browser. View source to verify.
Check that the browser route is on gov.uk, or that the UK ETA app lists Home Office as its developer or seller. The government charge is £20. A higher total includes a commercial service fee.
Use an email address you control. Most decisions arrive within a day, but allow up to 3 working days. Save the decision email and 16-digit reference number.
The ETA is linked to the passport used in the application. It lasts 2 years or until that passport expires, whichever comes first. A new passport requires a new ETA.
If you still need coverage for the trip, these links support entrycardguide without changing the price you pay.
Affiliate disclosure: if you buy through one of these links, we may earn a commission. We never accept money from visa middlemen, form-filing services, or companies that compete with the official government forms we point to.