Planning a family trip to London, Manchester or Edinburgh? Before you pick hotels, check one thing first: every child in your group needs their own UK ETA. That includes teenagers, toddlers and babies.
This surprises a lot of parents. Many assume children travel on a parent’s approval, or that a baby is exempt. Neither is true. Each traveler needs their own approved ETA linked to their own passport.
This guide walks you through how to apply for a child, what to prepare, and where families usually go wrong. If you want help, the team at UK ETA Application can prepare and submit the forms for your whole family.
Do children need a UK ETA?
Yes. If your child is a citizen of a country that needs an ETA for short UK visits, such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain or Oman, they need one regardless of age. There is no minimum age.
There are a few exceptions. A child who holds a British or Irish passport does not need an ETA. A child who already holds a valid UK visa for their trip does not need one either. If you are not sure which group your child falls into, check our eligibility page or contact us before you apply.
Who can apply for a minor?
A parent or legal guardian applies on the child’s behalf. Children cannot be expected to complete the form themselves, and the form is built with this in mind.
You answer every question as the adult responsible for the child. That includes the security and background questions, so you need to know the answers about your child’s travel and history. Answer them honestly and carefully. A wrong answer on a child’s form causes the same problems as a wrong answer on an adult’s.
If someone other than a parent is taking the child, such as a grandparent, an uncle or a school group leader, the parent or guardian should still complete the application, or at least confirm every detail before it is submitted.
What you need before you start
Gather these items for each child. Having them ready saves a lot of back and forth.
- The child’s own passport. It must be valid and should not be close to expiring. Our passport requirements guide explains what to check.
- A clear digital photo of the child’s face. More on this below, because photos are the biggest trouble spot for young children.
- An email address you check regularly. Updates about the application go here.
- Travel details, such as the purpose of your trip and a rough idea of where you will stay.
- Your own contact details as the parent or guardian completing the form.
For a full list, see our documents checklist.
The photo problem: tips for babies and young kids
Ask any parent who has tried to photograph a two-year-old against a plain wall. It is not easy. The photo has to be a clear, front-facing image, and a blurry or tilted picture is one of the most common reasons an application gets stuck.
A few things that work in real life:
- Use daylight. Stand your child near a window, facing it. Avoid flash and harsh shadows on the face.
- Plain, light background. A white wall or a plain sheet works well. Remove toys, hands and other people from the frame.
- Keep the face fully visible. No hats, no hair across the eyes, no dummy or pacifier in the mouth.
- For babies, lay the baby on a plain light sheet and take the photo from directly above. Wait for open eyes. Take ten pictures and pick the best one.
- For toddlers, try a short game. Ask them to look at a favorite toy held just above your phone.
Our photo requirements guide covers the full specifications. If you get stuck, send us your photos and we can tell you before submission whether they are likely to cause trouble.
Step by step: how to apply for your child
- Check your child’s passport for the correct spelling, validity and condition.
- Take the photo following the tips above.
- Fill in the child’s details exactly as shown in the passport. Names, date of birth, passport number and expiry date must all match.
- Answer the security questions truthfully as the parent or guardian. Our security questions guide explains what to expect.
- Review everything twice before you submit.
- Submit and keep the confirmation. Then repeat the process for each child.
If you want a walkthrough of the form itself, read how to fill the UK ETA form.
Applying for the whole family
Most families travel together, so the practical question is how to keep everything organized. Each person still gets a separate application and a separate approval, but you can prepare them together in one sitting.
Here is a simple way to manage it:
- Make a folder on your phone with each person’s passport photo page and face photo, labeled by name.
- Use one parent’s email for all applications so every update lands in one inbox.
- Write down each person’s application reference as soon as you have it.
Our guides on family and group applications and group bookings go deeper. If you are in the UAE, the UAE family application guide is a good place to start.
Common mistakes parents make
After seeing how families apply, these are the mistakes that cause the most delays.
1. Assuming a baby does not need an ETA. Age does not matter. Every traveler needs one.
2. Spelling errors. A name typed as “Mohammed” when the passport says “Muhammad” can create problems. Copy the spelling from the passport, not from memory.
3. Using an old or damaged passport. If a child’s passport is close to expiring, renew it first. The ETA is linked to that passport, so a new passport later means a new application.
4. Poor photos. Blurry, dark, tilted or filtered photos are rejected often. Do not use a photo with beauty filters or a cartoon background.
5. Applying at the last minute. Do not wait until the week of your flight. If your child’s photo needs retaking, you will want time to spare. See our processing time guide and our urgent application options if you are short on time.
6. Mixing up passports within the family. When you are filling in four or five forms in a row, it is easy to attach the wrong passport number to the wrong child. Do one child at a time and check each one before moving on.
7. Skipping the review step. A two-minute check at the end can save weeks of trouble. Read our list of common application errors before you submit.
A real-world example
Picture a family of five from Dubai planning a summer trip to London: two parents, a 12-year-old, a 5-year-old and an 8-month-old. They book flights, then realize only the adults’ ETAs are sorted. The baby’s passport was issued recently, but the photo they took was dark and the baby’s eyes were closed.
They retake the photo near a window, with the baby lying on a white sheet, and submit all five applications together under one email address. Because they started early, there is plenty of time to fix anything that comes up. The trip goes ahead without stress.
The lesson is simple: start early, and treat the baby’s photo as the hardest part of the process.
How long is a child’s ETA valid?
An ETA is generally valid for multiple visits over a set period, as long as the passport it is linked to stays valid. For a child, passports sometimes have shorter validity than an adult’s, which can shorten the period. Check the dates on the passport before you apply, and read our validity guide for details.
After you apply
Once you submit, watch your email. You can also use our guide to check your UK ETA application status. When an approval arrives, save a copy for each family member and keep them with your travel documents. If an application is refused, our guide on how to reapply after rejection explains what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
Does a newborn need a UK ETA? Yes. A newborn needs a passport and their own ETA, like every other traveler.
Can I include my child on my own application? No. Each child needs a separate application linked to the child’s own passport.
Can both parents apply for the same child? Only one application is needed per child. Decide which parent will handle it so you do not create duplicates.
What if my child’s passport expires soon? Renew it before you apply. The ETA is tied to the passport, so a new passport means a new application.
What if I made a mistake on my child’s form? Contact us as soon as you notice. The sooner we know, the easier it is to fix before it affects your travel plans.
Does my child’s reason for travel matter? Yes, the form asks about it. Short family trips, tourism and visiting relatives are common reasons. You can read more about tourism and family visits on our site. For a longer list of questions, see our FAQ page.
Let us handle the forms
Filling in forms for several children is tiring, and small errors are easy to make. At UK ETA Application, we help families prepare every application, check every photo and spot mistakes before they cause delays. You send us the details, and we guide you through each step.
Ready to start? Visit our main UK ETA application page or contact our team with your questions. Start early, keep the passports handy, and enjoy planning the trip.
