Travel permit tracker 2026: ETA, ESTA, ETIAS

A quick note before the table: these permits are for people who don't need a visa. If your passport needs a visa for a country, its permit doesn't apply to you, and you apply for the visa instead. Each row links to the official site, and "Who needs it" counts the passports our visa checker covers.

Travel permits compared, checked on 3 Oct 2026
Permit	Cost	Valid for	Each visit	Who needs it	Apply
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: UK ETA	£20	2 years, or until your passport expires	Up to 6 months	47 passports in our checker	gov.uk or the UK ETA app
🇺🇸 United States: ESTA	US$40.27 (US$40.62 from 16 October 2026)	2 years, or until your passport expires	Up to 90 days	35 passports in our checker	esta.cbp.dhs.gov or the ESTA Mobile app
🇪🇺 30 European countries: ETIAS Not running yet	€20 (free under 18 and over 70)	3 years, or until your passport expires	90 days in any 180-day period	17 passports in our checker	travel-europe.europa.eu, once it starts
🇨🇦 Canada: eTA	CAD 7	Up to 5 years, or until your passport expires	Usually up to 6 months	38 passports in our checker	canada.ca
🇦🇺 Australia: ETA (subclass 601)	AUD 20 (app service charge)	12 months, or until your passport expires if sooner	Up to 3 months	25 passports in our checker	the AustralianETA app only
🇳🇿 New Zealand: NZeTA	NZ$17 in the app or NZ$23 online, plus the NZ$100 visitor levy	2 years	Up to 3 months (6 for UK citizens)	47 passports in our checker	nzeta.immigration.govt.nz or the NZeTA app
🇰🇷 South Korea: K-ETA	KRW 10,000 (plus a card fee of about 3%)	3 years, or until your passport expires	Depends on your nationality	4 passports in our checker	k-eta.go.kr or the K-ETA app
🇮🇱 Israel: ETA-IL	NIS 25	Up to 2 years, or until your passport expires	Up to 90 days	45 passports in our checker	israel-entry.piba.gov.il
🇰🇪 Kenya: eTA	US$30 (express: US$100 more)	Travel within 90 days of issue, one entry	Decided at the border	67 passports in our checker	etakenya.go.ke
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka: ETA	Free for 40 nationalities since 25 May 2026; otherwise US$50 (US$20 for South Asian countries)	Check eta.gov.lk (its pages give two answers)	30 days, two entries (can be extended)	65 passports in our checker	eta.gov.lk

What do these travel permits have in common?

Apply only on the official site or app. Every one of these has look-alike websites that charge more for the same form. The links in the table go to the real ones.
They're linked to your passport. For most of them, a new passport means a new application, so check before you renew.
Apply when you book. Most come back within minutes, but some take a few days, and you can't board without one.
They don't guarantee entry. The officer at the border still has the final say.

Each permit in a few lines

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: UK ETA

Cost: £20 · Valid: 2 years, or until your passport expires · Each visit: Up to 6 months · Decision: Usually within a day, at most 3 working days

Apply on gov.uk or the UK ETA app. Read my full guide →

Needs it: 47 passports in our checker

🇺🇸 United States: ESTA

Cost: US$40.27 (US$40.62 from 16 October 2026) · Valid: 2 years, or until your passport expires · Each visit: Up to 90 days · Decision: Often minutes, but some stay pending

Canadians don't need one. Apply on esta.cbp.dhs.gov or the ESTA Mobile app. Read my full guide →

Needs it: 35 passports in our checker

🇪🇺 30 European countries: ETIAS

Cost: €20 (free under 18 and over 70) · Valid: 3 years, or until your passport expires · Each visit: 90 days in any 180-day period · Decision: Most within minutes, at the latest 4 days

Not running yet, and the EU hasn't set a start date. Nothing to do today. Apply on travel-europe.europa.eu, once it starts. Read my full guide →

Will need it once it starts: 17 passports in our checker

🇨🇦 Canada: eTA

Cost: CAD 7 · Valid: Up to 5 years, or until your passport expires · Each visit: Usually up to 6 months · Decision: Most within minutes

Only when you fly in: not needed by car, bus, train or boat. US citizens don't need one. Apply on canada.ca.

Needs it: 38 passports in our checker

🇦🇺 Australia: ETA (subclass 601)

Cost: AUD 20 (app service charge) · Valid: 12 months, or until your passport expires if sooner · Each visit: Up to 3 months · Decision: Usually straight away

Most European passports that aren't on the list below get the free eVisitor (subclass 651) instead. Apply on the AustralianETA app only.

Needs it: 25 passports in our checker

🇳🇿 New Zealand: NZeTA

Cost: NZ$17 in the app or NZ$23 online, plus the NZ$100 visitor levy · Valid: 2 years · Each visit: Up to 3 months (6 for UK citizens) · Decision: Allow 72 hours

Australians don't need one. Apply on nzeta.immigration.govt.nz or the NZeTA app.

Needs it: 47 passports in our checker

🇰🇷 South Korea: K-ETA

Cost: KRW 10,000 (plus a card fee of about 3%) · Valid: 3 years, or until your passport expires · Each visit: Depends on your nationality · Decision: 72 hours or less

Many visa-free travellers, including citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU, are exempt until 31 December 2026. Apply on k-eta.go.kr or the K-ETA app.

Needs it: 4 passports in our checker

🇮🇱 Israel: ETA-IL

Cost: NIS 25 · Valid: Up to 2 years, or until your passport expires · Each visit: Up to 90 days · Decision: Usually straight away, at most 72 hours

Required for all visa-free visitors since 1 January 2025. Apply on israel-entry.piba.gov.il.

Needs it: 45 passports in our checker

🇰🇪 Kenya: eTA

Cost: US$30 (express: US$100 more) · Valid: Travel within 90 days of issue, one entry · Each visit: Decided at the border · Decision: Up to 3 working days

Since 30 May 2025, citizens of 77 countries, most of them in Africa, don't need one. Apply on etakenya.go.ke.

Needs it: 67 passports in our checker

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka: ETA

Cost: Free for 40 nationalities since 25 May 2026; otherwise US$50 (US$20 for South Asian countries) · Valid: Check eta.gov.lk (its pages give two answers) · Each visit: 30 days, two entries (can be extended) · Decision: Within 48 hours

Everyone still needs the ETA, even when it's free. The official pages give no end date for the free scheme, so check before you go. Apply on eta.gov.lk.

Free for these passports in our checker: 🇦🇺 Australia, 🇦🇹 Austria, 🇧🇭 Bahrain, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇨🇳 China, 🇨🇿 Czech Republic, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇫🇮 Finland, 🇫🇷 France, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇮🇳 India, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇮🇱 Israel, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇰🇼 Kuwait, 🇲🇾 Malaysia, 🇳🇵 Nepal, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇳🇿 New Zealand, 🇳🇴 Norway, 🇴🇲 Oman, 🇵🇰 Pakistan, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇶🇦 Qatar, 🇷🇺 Russia, 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia, 🇰🇷 South Korea, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇨🇭 Switzerland, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇦🇪 UAE, 🇬🇧 UK, 🇺🇸 USA.

Needs it: 65 passports in our checker

Before you fly

Permit sorted? Two things I'd look at next. They're paid links: if you book through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Mobile data from the moment you land
An eSIM gets you online at the airport, with no hunting for a SIM shop.

AdAiralo · Yesim · Saily · compare all three
Flights
Compare prices across airlines before you book.

AdAviasales

I'll keep this table up to date as the rules change. Bookmark it, and check the official site once more before you fly.

— Julia

Questions people ask

What's the difference between a travel permit and a visa?

A travel permit like an ETA or ESTA is a quick online check for people who don't need a visa. A visa is a longer application, often with documents or an interview, for people who do.

Is an e-visa the same as an ETA?

No. An e-visa is a visa you apply for online. An ETA is for people who don't need a visa at all.

Do I need a new permit when I renew my passport?

Usually, yes. Most of these permits are linked to the passport you applied with, so a new passport means a new application.

Do children need their own travel permit?

For the big ones, yes: the UK ETA and the ESTA need one per traveller, babies included, and so will ETIAS.

Do I need a travel permit for a layover?

It depends on the country. The US wants an ESTA even if you're only transiting. Canada wants an eTA if you fly through a Canadian airport. The UK only wants an ETA if you go through passport control.

Why is Sri Lanka's ETA free for some travellers?

Since 25 May 2026, citizens of 40 countries get a free 30-day tourist ETA. You still have to apply for it before you travel.

Sources

We checked these facts against the sources above on 3 Oct 2026. Rules change, so we'll check them again by 20 Oct 2026. Spotted something out of date? Write to stamppath@outlook.com.