UK ETA for Brazilians in 2026: a complete guide

A £20 per person authorisation can decide whether you board your flight or stay at the airport. In 2026, anyone travelling on a Brazilian passport normally needs a UK ETA before heading to London, Edinburgh, Belfast or anywhere else in the UK.

The application is digital, a decision usually arrives within a day, and the authorisation lasts two years or until your passport expires. But a few details change everything: every child needs their own ETA, a connecting flight only requires one if you go through immigration, and switching to a new passport breaks the link with the old ETA.

This guide was checked against the UK government's official pages on November 10, 2026. It covers who needs to apply, how much it costs, how to do it through the official app or website, and what an approval actually means at the border.

UK ETA for Brazilians: quick summary

The list of nationalities published by UK Visas and Immigration includes Brazil. In practice, most Brazilians who used to make short visa-free visits now need this digital permission before they travel.

What is the UK ETA?

ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation. It is a digital permission linked to the passport you will travel with.

The ETA is not a visa, and it does not replace immigration control. It allows an eligible person to travel to the UK to seek entry as a visitor. The UK's own immigration rules make the distinction clear: even with an ETA, travellers still need to be granted permission to enter on arrival.

The authorisation also covers trips to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. For a standard visit, it covers tourism, visiting family, certain business activities and short-term study for up to six months.

Who needs to apply for a UK ETA in 2026?

As a rule, you need an ETA if:

• you travel on a Brazilian passport;
• you do not have a visa or other valid permission to live, work or study in the UK;
• you are going for tourism, a family visit, a permitted business trip, short-term study or a transit that involves passing through immigration;
• you will stay for up to six months.

The document you use is what counts. If you hold dual nationality, the rule follows the passport you present when you travel. British or Irish citizens cannot use an ETA instead of the corresponding passport.

Who does not need an ETA?

The official list of exceptions includes, among other cases:

• British or Irish citizens;
• people who already hold a valid UK visa;
• people with valid permission to live, work or study in the UK;
• people with settled status, pre-settled status or the right of abode;
• transit passengers who stay airside and do not pass through border control;
• people who live in Ireland and travel from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, provided they meet the official conditions (including carrying proof of Irish residence if they are 16 or older).

Dual citizenship, residence, work, marriage or long-term study deserve a check with the official visa or ETA checker. A general summary does not replace the rule that applies to your passport and the purpose of your trip.

What can you do with an ETA?

The official guidance on permitted activities says an ETA can be used for:

• tourism and holidays;
• visiting family and friends;
• business trips within the activities allowed for visitors;
• short-term study;
• a permitted paid engagement;
• up to three months as a creative worker under the Creative Worker visa concession, which waives that visa when all the requirements are met;
• transiting through the UK when you need to pass through border control.

An ETA does not allow ordinary employment with a UK company, working as a self-employed person in the country, staying longer than six months, claiming public funds or living in the UK through frequent or successive visits. It also does not cover getting married or registering a civil partnership; that requires a Marriage Visitor visa.

If your purpose goes beyond a short visit, check the right visa category before you buy your ticket. An approved ETA does not turn a prohibited activity into a permitted one.

How to apply for a UK ETA, step by step

The safest route starts on the official application page. It points you to the UK ETA app or to the online form. You do not need a consulate or an agent for a standard application.

1. Have the passport you will travel with ready

You need the physical passport itself, not a copy or a digital passport. Use exactly the document you will show at the airport and at the border.

Check the name, number and expiry date before you start. The ETA will be linked to that passport. If the document expires, is lost or is replaced, you will need to apply for a new authorisation.

2. Choose between the app and the website

The official app is called UK ETA and is available on the Apple and Google stores. According to the app guidance, it is only available in English and uses your phone's camera to photograph the passport and your face. On Android, the phone needs NFC so the app can read the passport chip.

If you cannot install the app, use the online form linked from GOV.UK. To apply for someone who is not with you, the online form is mandatory, because you will need to upload a photo of their passport and of their face.

3. Enter the requested information

The application asks for:

• an email address;
• passport details;
• a photo of your face;
• your address and job;
• any other nationalities you hold;
• answers about criminal convictions;
• contact details for someone with parental responsibility, if the applicant is under 18.

Copy the details exactly as they appear in the passport. A photo that does not meet the standard or a mismatch with the document can delay the application or lead to a refusal.

4. Pay the official fee

The official price is £20 per application. You can pay by credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. In the app, the accepted card brands include American Express, JCB, Mastercard and Visa.

The app can show the price in your local currency and lets you change the payment currency. Check the final amount and currency on screen before confirming. If you want to sort out the money side of the trip too, see which is the best card to use in the United Kingdom (in Portuguese).

5. Wait for confirmation before you travel

Wait for the decision email, which includes your 16-digit ETA reference number, before you travel. Do not board while the approval has not arrived.

The ETA is digital. Once approved, you do not need to print a sticker or show a separate document. Even so, keeping the email and the reference number makes it easier to resolve any questions that come up.

How much does the UK ETA cost?

As of November 10, 2026, the official fee is £20 per person. A family of two adults and two children pays £80, because each application is individual and there is no family authorisation.

The fee is not refunded once the application has been submitted. If you make a mistake in your details, are refused or need to use a different passport, you may have to apply again and pay again.

GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more. A private intermediary cannot speed up the decision. Before you pay, check these three points:

1. the address starts with https://www.gov.uk/ or you opened it from the official UK ETA app;
2. the government fee shown is £20;
3. there is no promise of approval or of a faster review.

If you see a higher price, a private service may be bundled in. That does not mean the UK government charges that total.

How long does it take to get an ETA?

Official guidance says you will usually get a decision within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days. People in the same group may get their decisions at different times.

Do not treat "it comes through in minutes" as a guarantee. Apply before the week of your trip, especially if there is a public holiday, a passport change or several people travelling. You must wait for the approval email before you travel.

If no answer has arrived after three working days, check your spam folder and then use the UK Visas and Immigration webchat. ETA enquiries are not handled by phone.

How long is the ETA valid?

The ETA is valid for 2 years from approval or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. During that period, it allows multiple trips to the UK.

That does not mean you can live in the country for two years. Each visit is still subject to the immigration conditions and, in the usual case, to the six-month limit. Repeated visits cannot be used to establish residence.

You can check online whether your ETA is active and when it expires. The check uses the passport you entered in your application.

Do children and babies need an ETA?

Yes. Every child and baby needs their own authorisation and pays the £20 fee. An adult can fill in the application, but must use the child's passport and photo.

In the app, the child needs to be present for the capture. You will not be asked to scan the face of a child aged 9 or under; from age 10, the app asks for a face scan.

When the child is not with the person applying, use the online form. Have a suitable photo of the child's passport and face ready before you start.

Do you need an ETA for a connection in the UK?

It depends on whether you go through immigration. The distinction is between airside and landside transit.

Your ticket does not always make this clear. Separate tickets, bags that are not checked through to your final destination or a terminal change can force you to go through the border. Confirm with the airline whether your connection is really airside.

Are the UK ETA, ETIAS, ESTA and Canada's eTA the same thing?

No. The acronyms look alike, but each authorisation belongs to a different jurisdiction.

• UK ETA: United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man;
• ETIAS: the European Union's planned authorisation for participating European countries, not including the UK; it is not in operation yet and no launch date has been confirmed;
• ESTA: United States, for nationalities in the US Visa Waiver Program;
• eTA: Canada's electronic travel authorisation, with its own rules.

The UK is not part of ETIAS. If your itinerary includes London and Paris, for example, you need to check both systems separately. Our guide to ETIAS 2026 for Brazilians (in Portuguese) tracks the European timeline and explains why it should not be confused with the British ETA.

Does an approved ETA guarantee entry to the UK?

No. The safest way to put it: the ETA authorises you to travel to the border; it does not guarantee entry to the United Kingdom.

At immigration control, officers may still ask about the purpose of your visit, accommodation, length of stay, onward or return ticket and the funds you have for your stay. Your answers and documents should reflect your real itinerary.

Keep bookings, a return or onward ticket and relevant proof somewhere easy to reach. For your budget, our guides on how much money to bring on a trip and the best card to use in Europe help you put together a mix of card and backup funds without mixing that up with your immigration authorisation.

Checklist before you board

Run through this final check:

• I applied on the UK ETA app or through a link that starts at GOV.UK;
• I received the decision email with the 16-digit reference number;
• I will travel with the same passport I used to apply;
• I checked that the authorisation is still valid;
• every adult, child and baby in the group has their own ETA;
• I confirmed with the airline whether a connection is airside or landside;
• I have my bookings, onward or return ticket and other documents for the visit;
• I did not confuse the UK ETA with ETIAS, ESTA or Canada's eTA.

Apply through the official channel, and do it early

For a short visit on a Brazilian passport, the usual route in 2026 is simple: apply for the ETA before your trip, pay the official £20 fee and wait for approval. It is valid for two years or until your passport expires, and can be used for several trips.

The main mistakes are also avoidable. Do not pay an intermediary expecting a faster decision, do not travel without the decision email, and do not assume a connection exempts you from the authorisation without confirming whether you will pass through the border. Children need their own application, and a new passport means a new ETA.

Once the paperwork is sorted, plan your budget in pounds and how you will pay. A virtual card for international purchases can help with bookings made before you leave, while a physical card and a small emergency backup cover you at your destination. The key is to keep the two decisions separate: the ETA gets you to the border; financial planning helps you avoid surprise costs during the trip.

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Information verified in November 2026.