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The single most-searched question for the ETA

Is iVisa the official UK ETA site?

No.

iVisa is a commercial visa and travel document service. It is not affiliated with the Home Office. iVisa charges a fee to file the ETA on your behalf. The ETA itself is free.

The actual official URL
§ If you already paid iVisa

One of three things happened.

Case 1 Most common

You bought application help and paid more than the £20 government fee.

A commercial site may submit the same ETA application and add a review or handling fee. The ETA can still be valid, but the extra charge is not a Home Office fee.

Case 2 Watch for

The ETA was filed, but the email or reference number is not under your control.

The decision email contains a 16-digit reference number. Keep the email yourself and check the ETA on GOV.UK before paying another site.

Case 3 Rare

You paid, but received no ETA decision.

Check your spam folder and the ETA status on GOV.UK. If no valid ETA exists, apply through GOV.UK or the Home Office UK ETA app and ask your card issuer about the missing service.

§ The gallery

Other lookalike sites in the top Google results.

Not official
ivisa.com/visas/united-kingdom

Observed 2026-07-14: the iVisa United Kingdom page advertised UK ETA prices starting from USD $100.99 and 'Get it as fast as 15 minutes.' GOV.UK charged £20 and stated that another website or app cannot provide a faster decision.

First observed 2026-07-14 · archive ↗
Not official
eta-united-kingdom.com/terms-and-conditions

Observed 2026-07-14: the terms page listed a EUR 69.00 service fee including VAT for a new UK ETA. This service fee was separate from the £20 government application fee shown on GOV.UK.

First observed 2026-07-14 · archive ↗
Not official
application-eta.uk/uk-eta-fees-processing-time/

Observed 2026-07-14: the pricing page listed totals of EUR 69 Regular, EUR 119 Priority, and EUR 169 Dedicated Agent, including handling fees of EUR 46, EUR 96, or EUR 146. GOV.UK charged £20 and stated that another website cannot provide a faster decision.

First observed 2026-07-14 · archive ↗

Every entry above resolved via DNS at last audit. To submit a new domain, open an issue on GitHub.

§ Recognize any imitator

Five questions that beat any list.

Pattern recognition beats memorizing domains. Bad sites change names; their tells don't.

01

Does the domain end in .gov.uk?

If no, it is not the United Kingdom government. Period. .gov.uk is restricted by registry.

02

Does it ask for payment?

The ETA is free. Any fee means a middleman.

03

Does it ask for a photo of your passport?

The official ETA does not. It accepts typed text only — no upload field exists.

04

Does the URL contain "apply", "official", or "gov" but not .gov.uk?

Those words are bait. The real domain is boring: www.gov.uk/eta.

05

Does the page have trust badges, testimonials, or countdown timers?

Government forms have none of these. They are ugly and functional. That is the tell.

§ Full context

Country-specific details, FAQs, and refund steps.

Verified
Official URL
Run by Home Office. Last verified July 14, 2026. · Archived snapshot

Short answer

No. iVisa is not the official UK ETA website. The official application route is operated by the Home Office through gov.uk/eta and the UK ETA app.

UK ETA is a travel authorization for eligible visa-free visitors. It is not a visa. British and Irish citizens, UK visa holders, and people with permission to live, work, or study in the UK do not need one.

The price test

The Home Office charges £20 per applicant. Every person needs a separate application, including babies and children. There is no family discount.

The fee rose from £10 to £16 on April 9, 2025, then to £20 on April 8, 2026.

Commercial prices observed on July 14, 2026 were:

  • iVisa: from USD $100.99.
  • eta-united-kingdom.com: EUR 69 service fee including VAT, stated separately from the government fee.
  • application-eta.uk: EUR 69 Regular, EUR 119 Priority, or EUR 169 Dedicated Agent. Its stated handling fees were EUR 46, EUR 96, or EUR 146.

These prices use different currencies, but every listed commercial total or service fee is separate from the £20 Home Office price.

Documented commercial UK ETA sites

The cards below reproduce the evidence recorded in data/official_urls/uk.toml. These companies may sell application assistance. They are not the Home Office.

What a middleman may do

A paid service may submit the same application and keep the markup as a review or handling fee. The resulting ETA can still be valid. The extra charge is not a Home Office fee and does not improve the approval decision.

A middleman may also use its own email address or keep the 16-digit reference number. If you already paid, keep the decision email yourself and check the ETA through GOV.UK before paying again.

Four checks before you enter passport data

  1. Route: the official web application starts at gov.uk/eta; the official app lists Home Office as developer or seller.
  2. Fee: the government charge is £20 for each applicant.
  3. Timing: most decisions arrive within a day, but allow up to 3 working days. A paid rush tier cannot make the Home Office decide faster.
  4. Control: use your own email and keep the decision email and 16-digit reference number.

An ETA lasts 2 years or until passport expiry, whichever comes first. It covers multiple journeys, normally with stays of up to 6 months each. Approval does not guarantee entry to the United Kingdom.

Cite or share

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Use this page when warning travelers about official entry-card links or middleman fees. The URL, official source, and verification trail are public.

Suggested citation

Is iVisa the Official UK ETA Website? No, Use GOV.UK
entrycardguide. Accessed 2026-07-14.
https://entrycardguide.com/uk/is-ivisa-official/

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