UK ETA applications on etourist.com rest on a simple idea: pay a service fee, and someone else checks your answers before they reach the Home Office. Whether that is worth it depends on how you weigh cost, refunds, speed and privacy against the free-to-use official app.
- Both routes end with the same Home Office ETA, costing GBP 20 in government fees.
- eTourist adds a service fee, shown at checkout, plus optional Denial Protection.
- Its refund window is 7 days and closes once the application reaches the government.
- A review cannot make approval more likely, by eTourist’s own terms.
- Applying directly is always possible, and the eTourist terms say so.
Two Routes to the Same Travel Permit
The Home Office issues every UK ETA. You can apply through the official UK ETA app or the online form on GOV.UK, or you can let a private service such as eTourist submit for you.
The Home Office says 24.8 million ETAs were issued between the scheme’s launch in October 2023 and the end of 2025. The permit you receive is identical whichever route you pick. It allows multiple visits of up to six months each over two years, or until the passport expires if that comes sooner. What differs is everything around the application.
What Applying Directly Asks of You
The official route is not hard, but it has a few practical requirements. GOV.UK lists them for the UK ETA app.
- An iPhone 7 or newer on iOS 16, or an Android 12 phone with NFC.
- A photo of the passport, and a chip scan where the passport has one.
- A face scan for applicants aged 10 and over, plus a face photo.
- Answers on address, employment, nationality and criminal history.
- Payment by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Without a suitable phone, the GOV.UK online form does the same job with uploaded photos. That is the step eTourist’s simpler web form replaces.
What You Pay on Each Route
| Cost item | Apply directly | Apply via eTourist |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee | GBP 20 per person | GBP 20 per person, forwarded by eTourist |
| Service fee | None | Yes, amount shown at checkout |
| Faster service level | Not offered | Rush and Super Rush, covering eTourist’s preparation only |
| Refusal cover | None | Optional Denial Protection, non-refundable itself |
The fee rose from GBP 16 to GBP 20 on 8 April 2026, and GOV.UK now lists GBP 20. Families pay it once per traveller on either route, babies included.
Note. eTourist’s UK pages do not publish the service fee. Check the full total, per person, before you enter card details.
How Refunds Work With eTourist
GOV.UK is blunt: you cannot get a refund after you apply. eTourist’s refund policy is more detailed, and it depends on how far your order has gone.
Refund by order stage
| Order stage | Service fee refund |
|---|---|
| Received or incomplete | 100% |
| Reviewed or info needed | 75% |
| With government | None |
| Complete | None |
| No reply to a request within 7 days | None |
| Not completed within 30 days | None |
Timing rules
Refund requests must be made within 7 days of placing the order, by live chat or support@etourist.com. eTourist says processing takes up to 3 business days, and the bank may take up to 14 business days to post it.
Warning. The UK landing page talks about a money-back guarantee if rejected. The terms limit that to orders with Denial Protection bought in advance, and exclude applications with inaccurate information.
Does a Review Make Approval Likelier?
No promise is made. The terms say eTourist does not issue travel documents, does not influence the government’s decision and cannot guarantee any outcome.
What a review can do is catch typing mistakes, such as a wrong passport number or a mismatched name, before submission. For applicants who are unsure about the questions, that check has some value. It does not change how the Home Office assesses you.
Good to know. If an ETA is refused, the Home Office says there is no appeal. The next step is a visa application, on either route.
Speed Claims Compared With Official Timing
eTourist’s marketing says “99% approved within 1 hour” and “approved in less than 24 hours”. The official sources set out the government’s view of timing.
- GOV.UK says you usually get a decision by email within a day.
- It can take up to 3 working days.
- The Home Office says most app applicants get an automatic decision in minutes.
- Both sources advise applying at least three working days before travel.
The eTourist terms confirm that its Standard, Rush and Super Rush levels measure only its own preparation time. A paid rush cannot shorten a government manual check.
Privacy on Each Route
Applying directly means your data goes to the Home Office. Using eTourist adds a private company in between, based in the United States.
- eTourist collects passport details, photographs and facial images.
- Its privacy policy, updated September 19, 2025, lists sharing with service providers and affiliates.
- UK and EEA residents get added rights, handled via privacy@etourist.com.
- The site uses cookies and tracking pixels to collect device and usage data.
Data is kept for as long as reasonably necessary or as the law requires, per the policy. If that matters to you, the direct route keeps one fewer company in the chain.
Our Take on UK ETA Applications Through etourist.com
eTourist is upfront in its terms that it is a private service and that you may apply directly. Its real offer is reassurance: a checked form, chat support and a partial refund window.
The company’s own wording points the same way. It calls itself an application assistance service, not an agency with special access.
Tip. If the official app will not read your passport chip, the GOV.UK online form is a free fallback before you pay for a service.
For a single confident traveller with a compatible phone, the official app costs less and is usually just as fast. For someone uneasy with online forms, or applying for others who are not present, the extra fee buys help rather than a better result. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice.
Use It If or Skip It If
| Use it if | Skip it if |
|---|---|
| You want your answers checked before submission | You are comfortable with the official UK ETA app |
| You want 24/7 chat support during the form | Keeping costs to GBP 20 per person matters most |
| You are applying for relatives who are not with you | Your trip is in hours and you need the fastest route |
| You accept the refund rules and service fee | You would rather not share passport data with a third party |