The official portal for applying for the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA, appears to have been experiencing heavy traffic since Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
Several attempts to access the GOV.UK online service have resulted in a message stating that the service is “currently busy,” with users placed in a queue before they can begin their application. The estimated wait time varies depending on the connection and can exceed one hour.
Similar difficulties have also been observed on the “UK ETA” mobile app, which British authorities usually describe as the easiest and fastest way to apply. According to the Home Office factsheet, most applications submitted through the app normally receive an automatic decision within minutes.
No official outage announced so far
So far, British authorities have not issued any statement reporting a general outage of the ETA system.
The official GOV.UK pages dedicated to the electronic travel authorization remain accessible and continue to state that the ETA costs £20, allows multiple trips to the United Kingdom for two years or until the passport expires, and must be requested through official channels.
The help page for the UK ETA app also notes that travelers can apply online if the app is not available or if their phone is not compatible.
In the absence of official confirmation, it is therefore more accurate to describe the situation as a temporarily overloaded service or a digital waiting room, rather than a confirmed outage.
User reports begin appearing online
Similar reports have nevertheless started appearing on travel and immigration forums, as well as on Reddit, with some users saying they are unable to start their application or questioning whether a technical issue has been affecting the service since early June.
This type of message is not entirely unprecedented. During previous periods of high demand, particularly when the ETA was expanded to new nationalities, travelers had already reported similar queues or overload messages on the official portal.
Travelers urged to apply early
The UK ETA is mandatory for visa-exempt travelers visiting the United Kingdom, with some exceptions. It applies in particular to tourist stays, short business trips, transits and other situations covered by UK immigration rules.
Although decisions are often issued quickly, British authorities advise travelers not to wait until the last minute. In practice, travelers who are subject to the ETA requirement must have an approved ETA before boarding their trip to the United Kingdom.
For travelers due to depart soon, it is advisable, when the queue appears, to wait until the application form opens if the estimated delay remains compatible with their travel plans. If the wait is too long or access fails, they can try again later, test both the online portal and the UK ETA mobile app, and allow enough time before departure. If the problem persists, UKVI support remains available through the channels listed on GOV.UK.
