Visas & Tickets

Getting into the UK now involves a step many travellers don't expect, and several major London attractions require advance booking regardless of your entry requirements. Both are worth sorting before you fly.

UK Entry: The ETA

Since 25 February 2026, most visa-exempt visitors — including US, EU, Canadian, Australian and Gulf-state nationals — need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they can even board a flight, ferry or train to the UK. It's not a visa; it's a digital pre-travel check, similar to the US ESTA or Canada's eTA, and it's linked electronically to your passport rather than being a physical document. British and Irish citizens are exempt, as are travellers who already hold a UK visa or other immigration status.

It costs £20 per traveller (children included), and most applications are approved within minutes through the official UK ETA app, though it's worth applying at least a few working days before you travel in case your application needs extra review. An approved ETA is not a guarantee of entry — a Border Force officer still makes the final call on arrival — but without one, airlines and other carriers are required to refuse boarding.

Rules and eligible nationalities can change, so always confirm your specific requirement directly on the official UK government site (gov.uk) before booking flights.

Booking Attraction Tickets

Major sights — the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace's summer State Rooms, and popular special exhibitions at museums — increasingly use timed-entry booking, and some (like the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum) sell out well in advance. Booking online ahead of time is both cheaper and more reliable than turning up and hoping.

If you're planning to see several paid attractions, a combined multi-attraction pass can bring the per-visit cost down — compare the total cost of individual tickets against a pass before buying, since passes only pay off if you'll genuinely use most of what's included.

Tips

• Check gov.uk directly for your specific ETA requirement — don't rely on general guides, including this one, for your exact situation.
• Apply for your ETA at least a few working days before travel.
• Book major attractions online in advance, especially the Tower of London and any temporary exhibitions.
• Compare multi-attraction passes against buying tickets individually before committing.

Entry requirements change — always check gov.uk for the current rules before booking travel.