Frequently Asked Questions

An ETA is a new digital entry permit required for nationals of certain countries who do not need a visa to visit the UK. It allows eligible travellers to enter the UK for short stays, tourism, business trips, or transit purposes.

As of 2025, nationals from 82 countries (48 non-European and 34 European visa-exempt nationalities) must apply for an ETA before travelling to the UK. For full details on eligible nationalities, please visit GOV.UK: Who can apply

Applying for an ETA through VFS is a quick and straightforward online process. Travellers will need to:

1. Check eligibility

   • Confirm you are a visa-exempt national eligible for the UK ETA.

2. Create your request on VFS UK ETA platform

   • Visit the VFS UK ETA platform.

   • Provide your travel information, upload the required documents including a clear digital image of your passport’s bio-data page and a recent photograph.

3. Agree to the Terms & Conditions

   • Review and accept the service Terms & Conditions, allowing VFS to process your application.

4. Pay the fees

   • Pay the combined £39 fee (£19 VFS service fee + £20 UK ETA fee) securely on the VFS UK ETA platform.

5. Application review & submission

   • Once paid, your application enters our queue for verification.
   • After verification, it is submitted to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for a decision.

6. Receive your ETA decision

   • You will be notified by email once UKVI has made its decision.

Please note:

• VFS processes your application but the final decision rests with UKVI.
• Ensure all information is accurate to avoid delays.

Most applications are processed within 3 working days, although it may take longer if additional checks are required.

An ETA is usually valid for 2 years or until your passport expires (whichever comes first). During this time, you can make multiple short visits to the UK.

Yes. All travellers, including children and infants, require their own UK ETA, regardless of their age or how they are travelling.

If the UK Visas and Immigration refuses your Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), you will not receive a refund of the ETA or service fees.

Next Step: Apply for a Visa

A refusal of your UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) means that you may need to apply for a UK visa if you still intend to travel. For short-term visits such as tourism, business, or family visits, you will typically need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa.

The reason for your ETA refusal will determine your next steps, as outlined by UK government website: Check UK visa requirements and apply.

1. Rejection due to administrative issue:

   If your application was declined due to an administrative issue (e.g., poor photo quality or unreadable document scans), you can submit a new ETA application with the corrected information.

2. Formal Refusal:

   If your application was formally refused, you will need to apply for a UK visa instead.

You can visit the UK for up to 6 months to take part in short-term study, provided you meet the basic eligibility criteria. For longer-term study or to remain in the UK beyond this period, you’ll need to apply for the appropriate visa.

For assistance with your ETA application, there are multiple support options:

• Email support: You can contact our support team via email for non-urgent queries.

• AI Agent on VFS UK ETA platform: Get instant guidance via our AI agent, trained to provide accurate guidance using our support data.

• FAQ: Visit the VFS UK ETA website to access the self-help resources, covering step-by-step application guidance and general information about the UK ETA process.

Our support team aims to resolve queries within 24 hours.

You generally cannot request a refund for a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) application once it has been submitted, as the fee is non-refundable if the application is processed. Refunds are only issued if you were charged more than once for the same application due to a technical error, or our failure to submit your completed, paid application to the UK Visas and Immigration within 24 hours. If you believe you are eligible for a refund that meets these conditions, contact our support team via email and include your application reference number and proof of payment.

Yes. All eligible ETA customers can apply from any location online.

Please visit the GOV.UK website to determine whether you need to apply for a UK Visa and if so, the type of visa required.

The fee for each type of visa can be found on the GOV.UK website.

For information on visa processing times, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-processing-times-applications-outside-the-uk

We are sorry that the VFS website wasn’t working when you came to book your appointment. Once the system is back up, applicants will need to follow the regular appointment booking process, and visit the Visa Application Centre on the date/time selected in the appointment booking system.

All customers applying for a UK visa, must first complete a Visa Application Form on the UK Visas and Immigration (GOV.UK) website. Once this is complete, you will be directed to the VFS website to book your biometrics appointment. Your account with VFS is created at the point when you are redirected to our website. Once you have submitted your online visa application, you will have up to 240 days to attend an appointment to provide your biometrics and complete the application process. You can change your biometric booking up to 24 hours before your scheduled appointment. You can rearrange your appointment more than once if you need to. If you are unable to attend a biometric appointment within 240 days but wish to continue with your visa application you will need to contact UKVI.

If your request is because you think travelling to a VAC would be unsafe, please refer to the Biometric enrolment guidance - unsafe journeys (publishing.service.gov.uk) before contacting UKVI.

If you have not yet submitted the form and paid for your visa but come across an error, please go back to your application on the UK Visas and Immigration website to amend these details, before returning to VFS to book your biometric appointment.

If you realise that a mistake has been made after submitting the form and paying for your visa, please write a letter of explanation with the correct information. You have the option to either self-upload this document or choose the paid Document Upload Assistance service to upload it along with any other necessary supporting documents. Additionally, you can cancel your current application, request a refund and start the application again. Please click here for additional details.

If your passport is lost before your appointment, please secure a new passport and submit a fresh application with your new passport.

If your passport is lost after you have received your physical vignette, you will need to re-apply for a new visa for permission to travel to the UK.

For more details, click here.

If your passport is lost after you have received your eVisa, you should secure a new passport and update your UKVI account with the new details in order to travel to the UK.

To update your account, follow the instructions on GOV.UK: Update your UKVI account details.

Customers can select any Visa Application Centre location within the country of application, before confirming an appointment. If you wish to change your location after an appointment is confirmed, please Cancel your appointment and choose your preferred location.

UKVI services include the provision for user pays VACs (in some locations where demand is relatively low or where there are free-to-use options available), as well as optional expediting services - Priority Visa Service, and Super Priority Service. The fees for these services are regulated by the UK government and paid via VFS Global's Appointment Booking System. Additional information regarding these fees can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-9-april-2025

Whilst booking your appointment, you can select your preferred UKVI services. After the appointment is reserved and any applicable VFS services paid for, you will be redirected to your online VFS dashboard to make payment for the selected UKVI services. This payment must be completed online prior to attending the biometric appointment.

No, the payment for the user pays (UPV) fee must be completed online via your VFS dashboard after reserving your appointment and prior to attending the centre. Failure to make this payment online will result in delays at the Visa Application Centre or the requirement to reschedule the appointment.

In some locations where demand is relatively low, or where there are free-to-use options available within the same country, an additional fee is charged to cover the provision of a user-funded Visa Application Centre. This allows customers to attend an appointment at a more convenient location closer to their home. The user pays fee is a regulated fee set by the Home Office and must be paid online via your VFS dashboard after reserving your appointment and prior to attending the centre. Please find more information about UK visa fees here.

Please ensure that there are no problems with your computer/phone (that is poor broadband or Wi-Fi connection, old browser versions, any other similar problem). If you have confirmed this, and are still having issues, then please screenshot the error page(s), and visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and use the 'Contact us' link at the bottom of the page to request further assistance.

Appointments are mandatory at all Visa Application Centres at this time.

You can reschedule your appointment free of charge by logging into your account, prior to your scheduled appointment date. This link can be found on our website and is also provided in your appointment booking emails.

On your Dashboard page, select Manage Appointment, open the Appointment Details section and select Reschedule Appointment.

You may reschedule within 5 days after a missed appointment by following the instructions above for a fee of £20 (payable in local currency). You may reschedule up to 3 times after the appointment date.

All customers will be directed to our appointment booking system and will be automatically logged in with your email address and GWF number.

Each customer must book their own appointment online for the same day. All customers may come to the centre at any appointment time booked by a member of the group and be seen together. Where the group consists of more than 5 customers, they can register on the appointment system under ‘Group appointment (more than 5 customers)’ and our team will contact them to assist with the appointment. In order to be considered as a group, all customers should be travelling for the same purpose and at the same time.

Login to your account. This link can be found on our website and is also provided in your appointment booking emails.

Select ‘Resend confirmation letter’ or ‘Print appointment letter’ from the Appointment Details section of the Dashboard.

All customers will be directed to our appointment booking system and will be automatically logged in with your email address and GWF number, so there is no password to change.

Please make sure you have read through the Document Upload instructions regarding file sizes and types, and that you have a good broadband/Wifi connection. If you are still having issues, it could be due to a temporary systems error, so please try again at a later time/date. If, after following these instructions, you are still unable to upload your documents, please take a screenshot of the error messages that you are receiving, and take it to your appointment at the Visa Application Centre; where you will be able to use the assisted document scanning service at no cost.

Alternatively, you can purchase Document Upload Assistance (fee usually applies), and let our staff sort, scan and upload your documents, saving you precious time.

You can upload your supporting documents online free of charge or choose the paid Document Upload Assistance service. If you wish to self-upload your supporting documents, you should refer to the document checklist you have received as part of your online application and ensure that everything is correct.

If you have made an error and have not yet submitted your biometrics, you can delete the incorrect document and reupload the correct document by logging in to your account. To log in to your account, please visit ‘Your appointment’ page. If you realise that a mistake has been made after submitting your biometrics, you can contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

As part of the Home Office’s transition to a fully digital immigration system, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) recommend that you provide a full copy of your passport, including pages that show evidence of travel to other countries and any official observations or amendments (even if this is not specified on your document checklist). This ensures UKVI has access to all pages of your passport that may be relevant to your application.

To request a refund for a service that you didn’t need or wasn’t subsequently available, please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from and select the ‘Request a refund’ link at the bottom of the page.

Except for the Visa Application Fee, Immigration Health Surcharge Fee and for some locations where the mandatory User Pays fee applies, there are no other mandatory charges for customers who wish to apply for a UK visa. Most services available on the VFS website are optional across locations. Please visit your country's specific VFS website for details on available optional services.

Your receipt can be downloaded by logging into your account and selecting ‘Resend confirmation letter’ or ‘Print appointment letter’ from the ‘Appointment details’ section of the dashboard.

If you are still in the process of booking your appointment, you can remove any unwanted services from your Cart on the ‘Review and Pay’ page, by clicking on the edit icon and removing that service. If you experience any issues with removing unwanted services, or if you paid for a service in error; please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and select the ‘Request a refund’ link at the bottom of the page.

To cancel your appointment, please go to ‘Your appointment’ page.

Login to your account. On your Dashboard page, select Manage Appointment, open the Appointment Details section and select Cancel Appointment.

For refunds please submit a request on Contact us page.

VFS endeavours to process refund requests from customers within 15 days. Once the refund is approved, customers should receive the funds back to the original method of payment within five working days, subject to the usual bank and credit card company timelines. If we have a query regarding your refund request, we will contact you within seven working days.

Please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and use the 'Contact us' link at the bottom of the page to get in touch. Please include the following information on the form, and one of our Customer Care Team will be happy to help.

1. Applicant’s full name

2. Application reference number from GOV.UK (usually starts GWF, followed by nine numbers)

3. Registered email address (as used on GOV.UK and the VFS website)

4. A copy of the Appointment Confirmation, indicating where information is incomplete or incorrect

5. Name of the Visa Application Centre you intend to visit for your appointment

6. Date and time of the appointment you booked

We are sorry that you had to pay for a service that you didn't need. If you have subsequently self-uploaded your documents, or are exempt from Document Upload Assistance charges (ie; you're applying for Family Reunion under part 11 of the Immigration Rules or are an individual applying under the Windrush scheme), please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and select the 'Request a refund' link at the bottom of the page.

To request a refund for transaction decline, double payments or overcharge please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and select the 'Request a refund' link at the bottom of the page.

Unless VFS is unable to provide the services, any services purchased online or at the Visa Application Centres are non-refundable, even if they remain unused.

VFS is responsible for services offered to customers in the Visa Application Centre and is not part of the decision-making process. Your visa application is assessed by UK Visas and Immigration.

Information on the visa application process is available on GOV.UK: Visas and Immigration

You can find the current UK Visas and Immigration global service standard for processing times at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-outside-the-uk.

If the details on your eVisa are wrong, for example it’s showing the wrong date of birth or immigration status, report it using the report an error with your eVisa form.

If you have been issued with a vignette (a visa sticker in your passport) and is the details are wrong, please check these details on your eVisa. If your eVisa is also wrong, you can report an error with your eVisa. You will not get a replacement vignette.

If you are granted a visa to travel to a Crown Dependency (Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man) you will receive a notification of entry clearance. It will contain information of where to report any errors.

Please visit the homepage of the country you are travelling from, and use the 'Contact us' link at the bottom of the page to get in touch. A member of our Customer Care Team will respond within 48 hours. If you are still at the Visa Application Centre, you can ask to speak to the Visa Application Centre Manager, who will be able to assist you.