UK ETA for GCC Travellers: £20 Fee, Passport Rules and Who Needs a Visa

Checked on 21 October 2026. The official UK electronic travel authorisation fee is £20. For a Gulf traveller planning a short visit, the first question is whether the ETA route applies to their passport and circumstances. Living in the UAE does not automatically make someone eligible.

Gulf citizens and expatriate residents

The Home Office's ETA nationality list includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Eligible citizens travelling for a permitted short visit generally use an ETA unless an exemption applies.

An expatriate resident should check their own nationality instead. A family may need a mixture of permissions even when everyone has the same home address and flight booking. GOV.UK's checker takes nationality and travel purpose into account; use it before paying for either an ETA or a visitor-visa application.

British and Irish passport holders, and people with permission to live, work or study in the UK, are examples of travellers who do not need an ETA. Existing UK status should be checked through the appropriate status and travel guidance.

Cost, application and decision

Apply through GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app. The application requires the passport you will use, an accessible email address, a payment method and the required photographs. A private website can charge more, but GOV.UK says it cannot secure a faster decision.

The government currently says decisions usually arrive within a day and can take up to three working days. Wait for confirmation before travel. Members of the same family can receive decisions at different times.

Validity is not a continuous stay allowance

An ETA normally lasts two years or until the linked passport expires, whichever comes first. It permits repeat travel during its validity, subject to the visitor rules; it does not allow a continuous two-year stay. Permitted visits are generally up to six months, and entry is not guaranteed.

Children and babies who require an ETA each need their own. When budgeting, count the people who need applications rather than assuming there is one family fee.

A useful pre-flight check

Compare the passport number in your approval with the passport in your travel bag. Keep the confirmation email accessible and check an existing ETA's status using the official service. If a passport has changed or an application contains an error, follow GOV.UK's instructions rather than assuming the old approval remains usable.

For a connection through the UK, separately establish whether you will pass through border control; the transit route can change the permission required.