What is immigration control?

What happens at UK border control when you arrive?

Border control is a document check that happens at the port or airport where you land. GOV.UK's guidance for people entering the UK says your identity document is checked when you arrive at a UK port or airport to make sure you are allowed to come into the country, and that it should be valid for the whole of your stay. [1]

The same guidance says you may also need a visa or an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to come into, or travel through, the UK, depending on your nationality. [1] It adds that the rules on what you will need to enter the UK may be different if you are travelling from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. [3]

Border control is separate from customs. Travellers coming into the UK must declare to customs anything over their duty-free allowance, banned or restricted goods in the UK, goods they plan to sell, and more than €10,000 (or its equivalent) in cash if they are coming from outside the EU, and they and their baggage may be checked for anything they must declare. [1]

Do you need a visa or an ETA to enter the UK?

GOV.UK says you may need a visa to come to the UK to visit, study or work, and that depending on your nationality you may need an ETA. [2] Which of these entry permission types applies depends on your nationality and on the purpose of the trip. [2] [3]

For visitors, GOV.UK sets out three possibilities: you have to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel; you have to apply for an ETA, which allows you to visit the UK for up to 6 months without needing a visa; or you can visit the UK for up to 6 months without needing a visa or an ETA. [3] Fees stated in GOV.UK guidance as of 18 October 2026 are:

An ETA does not guarantee entry, and GOV.UK notes that other websites may charge more to apply, so applicants should avoid sites that imitate government services. [5] Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children, and one person can apply on behalf of others. [5] Most visitors need an ETA or a visa, and GOV.UK says you usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you are from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries. [5]

Some travellers do not need an ETA at all — for example people with a British or Irish passport, and people who already have permission to live, work or study in the UK. [5]

Does a visa or an ETA guarantee entry?

No. GOV.UK states plainly that an ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. [5]

The same applies to visitors who need no visa: they must still meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements, and they may be asked questions at the UK border about their eligibility and the activities they plan to do. [3] Under the Standard Visitor route you must have a passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay, and you must be able to show that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit; that you can support yourself and your dependants during the trip, or have funding from someone else to do so; that you can pay for your return or onward journey, or that someone else will; and that you will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home. [3]

GOV.UK adds that if you have previously been refused entry to the UK or have a criminal record, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa even if you do not need one. [3] What you may do once you are admitted depends on the route you entered under: for Standard Visitors, GOV.UK lists permitted activities, such as tourism, visiting family or friends, certain business activities and study on courses of up to 6 months, alongside activities that are not allowed, such as doing paid or unpaid work for a UK company unless it is a permitted paid engagement. [3]

Exceptions: transit and arrivals from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man

• Transit depends on border control. The visa you need to pass through the UK depends on whether you go through UK border control when you arrive, and your airline can tell you whether you will. [4] If you are not going through UK border control, you apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa; if you are going through border control but leaving the UK within 48 hours, you apply for a Visitor in Transit visa. [4]
• Longer or repeated transit. You need a Standard Visitor visa instead of a Visitor in Transit visa if you need to stay more than 48 hours in the UK, or if you need to pass through the UK frequently over a period of over six months. [4]
• Transit visa exemptions. You do not need a transit visa if you have an ETA, an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, a Home Office travel document (for example if you are a refugee or stateless person), a Standard Visitor visa or a Marriage Visitor visa. [4] If you pass through border control at a UK airport before continuing your journey, you need an ETA. [5]
• Arrivals from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. The rules on what you will need to enter the UK may be different if you are travelling from those places. [3]
• Where the detail sits. The Immigration Rules are described by GOV.UK as some of the most important pieces of legislation making up the UK's immigration law, updated regularly, with changes recorded in statements of changes; the collection was updated on 8 October 2026 and includes separate parts and appendices for visitor rules, the Electronic Travel Authorisation, and the lists of nationalities that need entry clearance or an ETA before travelling. [6]

Frequently asked questions

Does an ETA guarantee entry to the UK?

No. GOV.UK says an ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. [5]

How much does a UK ETA cost?

An ETA costs £20, and GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more to apply. [5]

Do children need their own ETA?

Yes. Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children, though you can apply for other people. [5]

Do you need a visa to change flights in the UK?

It depends on whether you go through UK border control, and your airline can tell you if you will. If you are not going through border control you apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa; if you are going through it and leaving within 48 hours you apply for a Visitor in Transit visa. [4]

How long can you stay in the UK as a Standard Visitor?

Usually up to 6 months, although GOV.UK says you might be able to apply to stay longer in certain circumstances, for example to get medical treatment. [3]

Related terms

Terms: port of entry, entry permission types, inadmissible passenger. Browse the full frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers UK border control only: the border and visa rules of other countries, and the detailed requirements of UK immigration routes other than the visitor and transit routes described above, are not covered here.

1. GOV.UK, Entering the UK: overview, checked 18 October 2026
2. GOV.UK, Check if you need a UK visa, checked 18 October 2026
3. GOV.UK, Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor, checked 18 October 2026
4. GOV.UK, Visa to pass through the UK in transit, checked 18 October 2026
5. GOV.UK, Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK, checked 18 October 2026
6. GOV.UK, Immigration Rules, checked 18 October 2026