UK Visa Online Application

The United Kingdom Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) is a single entry online travel authorization that permits the holder to visit the UK for up to 6 months for the purpose of tourism, business, to study, or to seek medical treatment.

The UK EVW is obligatory for citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Individuals from these countries do not need a visa for the UK, but they are required to obtain an approved UK electronic visa waiver before traveling to the country.

All visitors from EVW-required countries traveling to the United Kingdom for up to 180 consecutive days are required to have an individual approved electronic visa waiver, including children.

Travelers from UK EVW countries in transit who will arrive at one UK airport and leave from another, and pass through British border control, are required to obtain an EVW transit visa waiver. Those transiting through Britain through one airport only, and who will not pass through British immigration, do not require the online visa waiver.

Those eligible for the British online visa waiver are able to apply by completing an online application, which only takes a few minutes. Applicants are required to fill in information including the details of their valid biometric passport, the UK address where they intend to stay, and travel information including arrival and departure dates and times.

After answering some security-related questions, the applicant can submit the form, to receive an approved online tourist visa waiver for the UK via email.

Holders of an approved EVW for the UK can then print a copy to present alongside the passport to a British immigration official upon their arrival in the United Kingdom.

A UK online visa waiver enrollment is usually processed within 1 day, although applicants are advised to submit an online form at least 48 hours before the intended date of arrival, to ensure sufficient processing time.

Find below a list of all of the UK EVW-eligible nationalities.

The ETA for the United Kingdom is an upcoming electronic travel authorization program due to be implemented in late 2023.

It will first become a mandatory requirement for citizens of Qatar to travel to the UK in November 2023. It will then be rolled out to other GCC nationals and Jordanian passport holders in February 2024.

Additionally, it is expected that other visa-exempt nationalities will also soon need to apply for a British ETA to visit the UK. This may include all European Union and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals as well as nationals of Australia and the US.

The United Kingdom Electronic Travel Authorisation is being implemented in order to make British borders more secure, by pre-screening visa-exempt citizens before their arrival in the country.

The UK ETA will be similar to other electronic travel authorizations around the world. These include the ESTA for the United States, the Australian ETA, and the upcoming ETIAS online visa waiver to travel to the 26 member states in the European Schengen Area.

Applicants will need to complete a simple online form with basic personal and passport information. It will also be necessary to answer some security questions to submit a UK ETA application.

All of the information provided on the registration form will then be checked against a range of security databases before the authorization can be issued, and applicants receive an approved ETA by email and linked to their passport.

An approved ETA travel authorization is a multi-entry permit valid for a total of 2 years, or until the linked passport expires. It permits the holder to stay in the UK for up to 6 months per entry.