UK ETA Application Questions Explained — and When a Conviction Means Applying for a Visa
The UK''s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a short online application, not a visa — but two of its questions do real work: the criminality questions. Answer them wrongly, or assume a caution "doesn''t count", and an otherwise routine trip can end in a refusal or a refused boarding.
Here is what the application actually asks, and how criminal history is assessed.
What an ETA is
An ETA is digital permission to travel to the UK, required in advance by nationals of specified countries who do not already hold a visa or UK immigration status. It is linked to your passport, and holders still need permission to enter on arrival — an ETA does not guarantee entry. Apply on GOV.UK or in the official UK ETA app; the fee is £20.
British and Irish citizens do not need one. Neither do people with existing UK immigration permission.
What the application asks
You will need the passport you are actually travelling on (not a photocopy), a phone or device for the photo step, and a payment card. The application covers:
Identity and document details
- Full name as printed in your passport, date and place of birth, sex, nationality
- Passport number, issuing authority, issue and expiry dates
- A digital photograph and, in the app, a face scan matched to the passport chip
Contact and residence
- Email address and phone number
- Home address and country of residence
- Occupation or job details
Travel intent
- Reason for travelling to the UK (tourism, business, transit, visiting family, short study)
- Whether you are transiting only
Suitability and criminality
- Whether you have a criminal conviction, in any country, of the type the application specifies
- Whether you have any connection to war crimes, terrorism, extremism or other conduct that makes you a threat to public order or national security
The application is normally decided quickly — many within minutes — but the Home Office advises allowing up to three working days, and longer if the case needs review. Apply well before you book anything non-refundable.
The criminality question in plain English
The ETA question is not "have you ever been in trouble". It is narrower, and precise:
| Situation | What it usually means for an ETA |
|---|---|
| No convictions anywhere | Answer no; straightforward application |
| A conviction that did not result in a custodial sentence | May not need declaring under the ETA question — but read the wording on the form itself, and answer it accurately |
| A custodial sentence of less than 12 months | Declarable; the case will be considered against the suitability rules and may still be granted |
| A custodial sentence of 12 months or more | Strongly likely to fall foul of the suitability grounds — expect refusal of the ETA and the need to apply for a visa instead |
| Previously deported, removed or excluded from the UK | ETA is not the right route — a visa application is required |
| Terrorism, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide | Mandatory refusal grounds |
| Conduct, character or associations making presence in the UK non-conducive to the public good | Discretionary refusal ground, assessed case by case |
Two things travellers regularly get wrong:
- Foreign convictions count. The question is not limited to UK offences. A conviction abroad is assessed on the equivalent UK sentence, not the local label.
- "Spent" is not automatic. UK rehabilitation periods do not simply erase a conviction for immigration suitability purposes, and overseas rehabilitation regimes carry no weight at all. Do not assume a conviction has dropped off.
The governing rules are published in full: Immigration Rules Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation, the ETA caseworker guidance, and the wider suitability: criminality guidance.
What happens if the ETA is refused
A refused ETA is not the end of the trip, but it changes the route. You would normally need to apply for a visit visa through the standard UK visa service — a longer process involving a full application, biometrics at a visa application centre, supporting documents and, in some cases, an interview. Sentence details, dates and evidence of what happened since matter, so allow weeks rather than days.
Practical rules that save trips:
- Declare, don''t gamble. Deception in an application is itself a refusal ground and can trigger a re-entry ban far worse than the original conviction.
- Get the sentence facts right. The length imposed, not the time served, is what the rules turn on.
- Do not use an agent site. Apply only through GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app. Third-party sites add fees and give no advantage.
- If in doubt, take advice. An OISC-regulated adviser or immigration solicitor is the correct place for a borderline case — not a travel forum.
Fake ETA sites
As with the EU''s ETIAS, copycat sites market ETA "processing" at several times the £20 fee. The official application is on GOV.UK. Our ETIAS scam checker covers the same pattern of lookalike domains and how to spot them.
Landing well after the paperwork is done
Once approval is in hand, the remaining variable is how you arrive. Cabin humidity typically sits far below normal indoor levels, and a long flight combined with coffee and alcohol leaves most passengers dehydrated before they reach the border queue — not ideal when you are about to face questions at passport control.
Sipping water plus electrolytes is more effective than water alone. A TRAVELYTES™ FLIGHT stick before departure and another in the air replaces the sodium, potassium and magnesium lost in transit. Our flight hydration guide sets out the timing.
Related TRAVELYTES™ tools
- Passport checker — validity and entry requirements by destination
- ETIAS checker and FAQs — the EU''s equivalent scheme
- Schengen 90/180 calculator
- Flight status tracker
This article summarises publicly available Home Office guidance as of August 2026. It is general information, not immigration or legal advice. Anyone with a criminal record should check the official guidance linked above or take regulated advice before applying.
Further reading from Simon Calder (The Independent)
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