Yes, you can apply for a UK ETA for someone else — one person may complete and pay for applications on behalf of family, friends, or elderly relatives. Each traveler still needs their own separate ETA, but a single organizer can submit them all and cover the £20 fee each. This guide shows how to do it correctly and where people slip up.
TL;DR: You can apply for someone else’s UK ETA using their passport, a photo of them, and honest answers to the suitability questions. There is no group form — each person gets an individual £20 ETA, though one payer can handle several. Start with our US citizen application guide.
| Quick Facts | Detail (2026) |
|---|---|
| Apply for others? | Yes — family, friends, clients |
| Group application? | No — one ETA per person |
| Fee each | £20 (from 8 April 2026) |
| Who pays | One card can cover many |
| What you need | Their passport, photo, details |
Families, tour organizers, and adult children of older parents ask this constantly. The short answer is reassuring, but the details matter — a wrong photo or a mistyped passport number causes most of the delays. Read the current requirements and cost and the 2026 rules before you begin.
Can you apply for a UK ETA for someone else?
Yes, you can apply for someone else, and the UK government expressly allows a third party — a relative, friend, or agent — to complete an ETA application on a traveler’s behalf. The person applying enters the other individual’s details, uploads their photo, and pays, with no requirement that the traveler fill in the form themselves.
This helps in plenty of real situations (gov.uk ETA, accessed 22 August 2026). An adult daughter can apply for her 78-year-old father who avoids apps. A parent applies for a child. A US office manager can sort ETAs for a team heading to a London conference. The system does not care who taps the keys, only that the information is accurate.
What it will not do is bundle people together. There is no single family or group ETA — each traveler receives an individual authorization tied to their own passport.
How to apply for someone else, step by step
To apply for someone else, gather their valid passport, take or obtain a compliant photo of them, and work through the same online form you would use for yourself, entering their details rather than your own. Pay the £20, then wait for that person’s individual approval email, which usually arrives within minutes.
Follow the official guidance closely (gov.uk ETA guidance, accessed 22 August 2026). The core steps:
- Use their passport — scan the exact document they will travel on, not an expired one.
- Get their photo right — a clear head-and-shoulders shot; check our photo requirements guide.
- Enter their details, double-checking the passport number and date of birth character by character.
- Answer suitability questions truthfully about their history, not yours.
- Pay £20 per person; one card can cover several applications.
If you are handling a whole family, our family application walkthrough maps the order that saves the most time. Applying through the app? Compare it with the site in our app versus website guide.
Applying for children and elderly parents
Parents and guardians must apply for children of any age, since minors cannot submit their own ETA, and adult children routinely apply for older parents who are less comfortable online. Each child and each parent still needs a separate £20 ETA linked to their individual passport.
Babies and toddlers are not exempt — a newborn needs an ETA just like an adult. Our newborn baby ETA guide covers the passport-first sequence. For school-age kids and teens, the children’s ETA cost guide breaks down the numbers, and families weighing options can read ETA versus visa for families.
Pro tip: When you apply for an older relative, write down which email address you used. Approvals and any follow-up questions go there — not to the traveler — so if you used your own inbox, keep an eye on it right up to departure day.
Keep each person’s confirmation separate and clearly labeled. Mixing up whose approval is whose is the most common mistake when one organizer handles several.
Rules and responsibilities when you apply for others
Whoever applies is responsible for the accuracy of every answer, so applying for someone else means you must have their correct information and truthful history. False or careless answers can lead to a refusal that follows the traveler, not you, and fixing an error after submission is far harder than getting it right first.
You do not need signed permission or legal authority to apply for an adult friend or relative, but you should have their genuine consent and details, and the official guidance confirms a third party may apply (gov.uk ETA guidance, accessed 22 August 2026). Below is what you can and cannot do:
| Situation | Allowed? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Apply for spouse or partner | Yes | Separate ETA each |
| Apply for your child | Yes | Required for minors |
| Apply for an elderly parent | Yes | Use an inbox you monitor |
| One combined family ETA | No | No group option exists |
Verify each approval once it lands using our guide on how to check UK ETA status, and pay safely by following our safe payment guide. Dual nationals in the group should read our dual citizenship guide first, since which passport they use changes things.
Common mistakes when applying on behalf of others
The biggest mistakes when you apply on another person’s behalf are entering the wrong passport number, using an old passport, and uploading a photo that fails the checks. Any of these can delay or void an application, and because the ETA is tied to the exact passport, a small typo breaks the link at the airline gate.
Slow down on the details that feel boring. Confirm the passport is current and will stay valid for the trip. Match the name spelling exactly to the passport, including middle names. A frequent slip: an organizer books flights under a nickname, then enters the legal name on the ETA — the two must line up with the passport, not the ticket.
If you do spot an error after paying, you generally cannot edit it; you reapply. That is another £20, so a careful five minutes up front is cheap insurance. New to the whole process? Our family application guide lays out a checklist you can reuse for each person.
Getting it done for your group
Set aside a quiet block of time, line up every passport and photo before you start, and complete one full application before moving to the next so records stay clean. One card can pay for the whole group, but each person still needs their own £20 ETA and their own approval email.
Confirm eligibility details for anyone with an unusual history first (gov.uk ETA, accessed 22 August 2026). Keep a simple list — name, passport number, and status — so you can track who is approved. Once everyone is cleared, nobody needs to print anything; the authorizations are digital.
Rather not juggle several forms yourself? You can apply directly on gov.uk for £20 each, or use our checking and support service so one typo does not strand a family member at the gate. We are an independent assistance service, not the UK government.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for a UK ETA for someone else in my family?
Yes. You can apply for a spouse, child, parent, or any relative using their passport and photo. Each person receives a separate £20 ETA, but one person can submit and pay for all of them.
Is there a family or group UK ETA application?
No. There is no combined family or group ETA. Every traveler, including infants, needs an individual authorization tied to their own passport, even if one organizer completes and pays for each one.
Can I use my own credit card to pay for others?
Yes. One card can cover multiple applications. The payment method does not need to belong to the traveler, so an organizer paying £20 per person for the whole group is completely fine.
Do I need written permission to apply for someone else?
No signed authority is required to apply for an adult relative or friend, but you must have their genuine consent and accurate details. You are responsible for the truthfulness of every answer you enter.
Whose email gets the approval when I apply for others?
The approval goes to the email address entered on the application. If you use your own inbox to apply for a parent, watch that inbox, since any follow-up questions arrive there rather than reaching the traveler.
What if I make a mistake applying for someone else?
You usually cannot edit a submitted application. If a passport number or name is wrong, you reapply and pay the £20 again. Check every detail carefully before you submit to avoid the extra cost.
Can a travel agent apply for a UK ETA on my behalf?
Yes. Third parties, including travel agents, can complete the ETA for you. Make sure they use your correct passport and details, and confirm the approval yourself once it arrives.
Written by the etavisauk.us US travel desk — Americans helping Americans plan UK trips. Last updated: 2026-08-22 — verified against gov.uk schedule.