Entering the UK on a US passport: ETA, 6 months, overstays

The United Kingdom is not part of the Schengen Area, so the familiar Schengen rule of 90 days in any 180 does not apply there. Time in the UK does not count toward your Schengen days, and Schengen days do not count toward the UK limit. The UK runs its own visitor system, and for US citizens the central pieces are the electronic travel authorisation (ETA), a stay of up to 6 months, and a fixed list of things visitors may and may not do.

This guide covers what a US passport holder needs to visit, how long the stay can last, whether it can be extended, and what happens if you stay too long. Every rule below comes from GOV.UK, the UK government's official site. Check those pages again before you book, because the fees in particular change.

The ETA: what it is and who needs it

GOV.UK describes the ETA as a permission that "lets you travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months." The same page says you usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you are from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries. In practice, a US citizen visiting for tourism, family or a short business trip applies for an ETA, not a visa.

Key points from the official ETA guidance:

• Cost. An ETA costs £20. GOV.UK says you cannot get a refund after you apply.
• Everyone needs one. Each traveller needs their own ETA, including babies and children. You can apply on behalf of other people.
• How to apply. Apply online on GOV.UK or through the official UK ETA app. You need the passport you will travel with, an email address, a payment card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and a photo of the applicant's face. GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more and that you cannot get a faster decision through another website or app.
• Decision time. You usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days. You must wait for the email confirming the ETA before you travel.
• Validity. An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner, and you can travel to the UK as many times as you want while it is valid.
• Linked to your passport. The ETA is tied to the passport you applied with. If you renew your US passport, you need a new ETA for the new one.
• No guarantee. GOV.UK states that an ETA does not guarantee entry. A Border Force officer still decides at the border.

### Transit

If you change planes in a UK airport and pass through border control (landside), you need an ETA. If you stay airside and never pass through border control, you do not. GOV.UK suggests checking with your airline if you are not sure which applies.

### Who does not need an ETA

The official list includes British and Irish citizens, people who already hold a UK visa, and people with permission to live, work or study in the UK. Dual US-British or US-Irish citizens cannot get an ETA at all; they must travel on the British or Irish passport, or on another passport with a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.

There is also an exemption for people who live in Ireland and enter the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. That exemption is about residence, not a holiday route. A US tourist who flies into Dublin and then continues to London still needs an ETA. Residents using the exemption must carry an original Irish government document such as an Irish Residence Permit or Irish driving licence. Ireland runs its own separate visitor rules.

### Previous refusals or a criminal record

GOV.UK says that if you have a criminal record or were previously refused entry, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead of relying on an ETA. The visa costs £135 for up to 6 months, and you can apply no earlier than 3 months before travel.

How long you can stay

With an ETA you may visit for up to 6 months per visit. This is not a rolling 90/180 day count. However, GOV.UK is clear that a visitor cannot "live in the UK through frequent or successive visits" or make the UK their main home. Back-to-back 6 month trips can lead a Border Force officer to conclude you are effectively living there, and entry can be refused on that basis.

At the border you may be asked about your plans. The Standard Visitor eligibility rules say you must be able to show that:

• you will leave the UK at the end of your visit
• you can support yourself (and any dependants) during the trip
• you can pay for your return or onward journey
• you will not make the UK your main home

Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay. Carrying a return ticket, accommodation details and evidence of funds makes those questions easy to answer.

What visitors can and cannot do

With an ETA you can come for tourism, to visit family and friends, for a business trip, or for short-term study. You can also come for a permitted paid engagement, or for up to 3 months under the Creative Worker visa concession.

You cannot, according to GOV.UK:

• stay longer than 6 months
• do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, except permitted paid engagements or the Creative Worker concession
• claim public funds (benefits)
• live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
• marry, register a civil partnership, or give notice of either; that needs a Marriage Visitor visa

Remote work for a US employer is a common question. The visitor pages list permitted business activities and ban work for a UK company; they do not give a simple yes or no for every remote work arrangement. If you plan to work while visiting, read the GOV.UK "Visit on business" section carefully and keep your activities within it.

Extending a visitor stay

GOV.UK says you may be able to extend your stay only if you were given permission for less than 6 months, and only up to a total of 6 months. Its example: if you have been in the UK for 3 months, you can apply to extend for 3 more. This applies whether or not you needed a visa to visit.

Going beyond 6 months as a visitor is possible only in narrow cases: a patient receiving medical treatment, an academic who still meets the requirements, or a graduate retaking the PLAB medical test or doing a clinical attachment.

The extension fee listed on GOV.UK is £1,172, plus £1,000 more for the super priority service. You must apply from inside the UK before your current permission expires, and give fingerprints and a photo at a UKVCAS appointment. A standard decision usually takes up to 8 weeks. If you applied in time, you may stay while you wait, but you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or the application is withdrawn.

For most tourists the practical answer is simple: plan to leave within 6 months, and do not count on an extension.

What an overstay costs

The UK does not publish a fixed fine for visitors who overstay. The cost shows up in later applications. The Immigration Rules, Part Suitability, say an application for entry clearance or permission to enter must be refused if you previously breached immigration law and you apply within the relevant re-entry ban period. Overstaying counts as a breach for anyone aged 18 or over.

There is an important exception. Under rule SUI 11.5, a period of overstaying is disregarded if you left the UK voluntarily, not at government expense, and the overstay (if it began on or after 6 April 2017) lasted 30 days or less. Even then, SUI 11.3 still allows a refusal where someone has been in breach of immigration law, so a short overstay is not risk free.

Longer overstays, removal at public expense, or deception in an application lead to longer re-entry bans; the rules list a 10 year period for removal at public expense, for example. The lengths depend on how you left and who paid, so read Part Suitability directly if this applies to you, and consider advice from a regulated UK immigration adviser.

Overstaying can also affect US travel elsewhere, since many visa forms ask whether you have ever overstayed or been refused entry in any country.

Quick checklist before you fly

1. Apply for your ETA on GOV.UK or the UK ETA app, at least 3 working days before departure.
2. Make sure everyone in your group, including children, has their own ETA.
3. Confirm the passport number on the ETA matches the passport you will carry.
4. Pack proof of your return trip, accommodation and funds.
5. Plan your exit date so the visit stays within 6 months.

If something goes wrong with your passport while you are in the UK, the US Embassy in London provides services to US citizens.

Common questions

Does the Schengen 90/180 day rule apply to the UK? No. The UK is not in the Schengen Area. US visitors with an ETA can stay up to 6 months per visit, and UK days do not count toward Schengen days.

How much does a UK ETA cost and how long is it valid? GOV.UK lists the fee as £20. An ETA lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner, and covers multiple trips.

Do I need an ETA if I only change planes in London? Only if you pass through UK border control. If you stay airside you do not need one. Check with your airline if you are unsure.

Can I extend a UK visit beyond 6 months? Only in narrow cases such as medical treatment, some academics, or doctors retaking the PLAB test. Otherwise extensions only top a shorter stay up to 6 months in total, for a fee of £1,172.

What happens if I overstay in the UK? There is no published fine, but future applications must be refused within the re-entry ban period. An overstay of 30 days or less followed by a voluntary departure at your own cost is disregarded under rule SUI 11.5.