ESTA, eTA, UK ETA, ETIAS and Australian ETA Compared

What each system is for

United States. ESTA is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, and it collects biographic information and answers to Visa Waiver Program eligibility questions [1]. The programme also requires an e-Passport, described as a passport with an embedded electronic chip and an international symbol on the cover [1]. Authorization does not settle admissibility; U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers decide that when the traveller arrives [1].

Canada. The Canadian eTA is an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air, with exceptions including U.S. citizens and travellers holding a valid visa [1]. The Government of Canada describes its own page as the official channel to apply for an eTA to travel to, or transit through, Canada, at a cost of CAN$7 [2]. Dual Canadian citizens need a Canadian passport for this purpose rather than an eTA [2].

United Kingdom. A UK ETA lets a visitor travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months, for tourism, visiting family or certain other reasons [3]. It sits beside the visa system rather than replacing it: most visitors need an ETA or a visa, the answer depends on nationality and on the reason for coming, and travellers from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries usually need an ETA rather than a visa [3].

Australia. The Department of Home Affairs listing for the Australian ETA states a stay of up to 3 months at a time [5]. It also states a service charge of AUD20 to use the Australian ETA app and says no other charge is payable for an ETA [5].

Eligibility and passports

Nationality conditions are set scheme by scheme. The ESTA page checked states the e-Passport condition for Visa Waiver Program travel but does not reproduce the list of participating nationalities [1]. To apply for a Canadian eTA a traveller needs a valid passport, a credit or debit card and an email address, and answers a few questions online [2]; the authorisation also covers travellers who only pass through Canada [2].

The UK page ties its answer to nationality and purpose and names its own carve-outs: no ETA is needed with a British or Irish passport, or with permission to live, work or study in the UK [3]. Every traveller needs an ETA, including babies and children, and one person may apply for others [3]. Passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing a journey — landside transit — also requires an ETA [3].

Passport conditions: an e-Passport for ESTA [1] and a valid passport to apply for a Canadian eTA [2].

Fees, validity and processing

Published charges are CAN$7 for the Canadian eTA [2], £20 for the UK ETA [3], and an AUD20 app service charge for the Australian ETA with no other ETA charge [5]. The ESTA page checked gives no fee, so no US figure is stated here [1]. Both the Canadian and UK pages point applicants at the official channel: Canada describes its page as the official application page at that price [2], and the UK says other websites may charge more and that sites imitating government services should be avoided [3].

What the Canadian and UK pages do provide is status information: Canada offers online updates on pending applications and on the status of a current eTA [2], and the UK lets holders check whether they have an ETA and when it expires [3].

The UK limit is up to 6 months [3] and the Australian limit is up to 3 months at a time [5]. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time before travel, though CBP recommends applying as soon as travel plans begin or before airline tickets are bought [1]. Australia says the result is usually given immediately, may take longer if the application is not completed correctly or further information is required, and advises applicants not to make travel arrangements until the ETA is granted [5]. Canada sets out what to expect if more details are needed after applying [2].

Exceptions and limits

• Authorisation is not admission. ESTA authorisation does not determine whether a traveller is admissible to the United States, which CBP officers decide on arrival [1], and a UK ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man [3].
• Exemptions do not travel between schemes. British or Irish passport holders and people with permission to live, work or study in the UK do not need a UK ETA [3]; U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid visa are exceptions to Canada's air-travel eTA requirement [1]; dual Canadian citizens need a Canadian passport instead of an eTA [2]. Each exemption belongs to that scheme alone.
• Transit is covered separately. A landside transit through a UK airport requires an ETA [3], and Canada's eTA covers travel to or transit through Canada [2].
• Groups and families. Each person travelling to the UK needs an ETA, including babies and children, and one applicant may apply for others [3].
• Fee warnings. Australia charges AUD20 for use of the ETA app and states no other charge is payable for an ETA [5]; the UK warns that non-government sites may charge more than the £20 fee [3].
• Gaps in the record. ETIAS is named in this page's title, but no official European Union source was checked, so no ETIAS rule is described.

Related pages

Scheme guides: ESTA for the United States, Canada eTA, UK ETA, Australian ETA, ETIAS. Other systems in the same family: K-ETA and NZeTA. Background: frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026.

1. Electronic System for Travel Authorization, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, checked 18 October 2026
2. Electronic travel authorization (eTA), Government of Canada, checked 18 October 2026
3. Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK, GOV.UK, checked 18 October 2026
4. Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), Australian Department of Home Affairs, checked 18 October 2026