Don’t make your visit to the UK a bogey: The ETA requirements to Golf in the UK

As of the most recent ranking of the World’s Top 100 Golf Courses, nearly a quarter of all top golf courses are found in the UK, including famous courses like Royal County Down, St Andrews Links, and the Royal Dornoch Golf Club.

If you’re a US citizen who’s looking to visit to test yourself on challenging links courses, or navigate the water and wooded hazards of parkland courses, then before you think about packing your trusty driver (and more golf balls than you anticipate), you’ll need to tick the legal boxes for UK entry.

For visiting US golfers, an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the UK is par for the course.

What is an ETA?

An ETA allows non-visa nationals who do not already hold a valid UK visa to travel to the UK for visits. An ETA is not a visa, though it is similar to the US’s ESTA.

An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. If you have a criminal record or have previously been refused entry into the UK, you may want to consider applying for a Standard Visitor visa instead. Before applying for an ETA you should also assess if you need one, as you may not if you meet one of the criteria set out here.

What are the rules for ETA holders?

An ETA is valid for two years. During its validity, holders can travel to the UK and seek entry at the border to visit and stay in the UK for up to six months per visit. You are allowed to visit on a business trip, for short-term study, for a permitted paid engagement, or to travel through a UK airport.

The six-month period will begin from the date of first entry into the UK. Once the visit is over, you can return at a later date and seek entry afresh at a UK border, as long as you continue to meet the rules for entry. Visitors must be genuine, which means they must not intend to work in the UK, or make the UK their main home, including through a series of frequent and successive visits.

There is no 180 days in a year rule or cap, but, as a general guide, if you are spending more than 180 days in a year in the UK, you risk being interviewed about your intentions at the border. Furthermore, if you spend more than 183 days in the UK in any tax year, you may become liable to taxation.

Applying for an ETA

Once you have planned your itinerary and booked your flights, you will need to acquire your ETA.

You’ll need:

The passport you’ll travel with
An email address
A credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay (an ETA costs £20)

You can apply through the official UK government portal or the UK ETA app, which you can download through the following links depending on your device:

Google Play
Apple’s App Store

If you are travelling in a group, each traveller will need to apply for an ETA, including any babies and children that could be joining. It is possible to apply for other people’s ETA’s.

You should receive a decision within 24 hours, but it is recommended to leave three working days to receive your ETA, as you are required to have received confirmation of your ETA before departing for the UK and decision times may vary. You may even get decisions at different times to other people you applied for.

If you need assistance with applying for an ETA, the UK government has a series of useful resources:

Read the guide to using the UK ETA app
Watch the ‘What is an ETA?’ video
Watch the ‘How to apply for an ETA’ video

What you need to bring (apart from some new golf balls)

Your ETA will be linked to the passport you applied with, so you will likely only need to show your passport when you travel to the UK, but you should check the official UK government guidance. What you will need to enter the UK will also depend on your nationality and purpose of your visit, and it’s important to check the up-to-date travel requirements in case of any changes.

Remember that an ETA lasts for two years, so if you already have one from a previous trip to the UK, check that it is still valid and that you are using the same passport to travel that the ETA is linked to.

Born before 1988 and have a Scottish grandmother? You might be eligible for British citizenship

If you’re looking for more flexible entry into the UK than an ETA provides, then you may want to assess your eligibility for citizenship – you just might meet the criteria for citizenship by descent.

On 28 June 2022, a new route to British citizenship was introduced by Section 4L of the British Nationality Act 1981. If you were born outside of the UK in a foreign (non-commonwealth) country prior to 1 January 1988 and have a UK born grandmother, you may be eligible to apply for British citizenship.

If acquiring British citizenship is something you would be interested in doing, we would be delighted to arrange a consultation with you to discuss your eligibility.

Our Immigration team has helped many US citizens with a British-born grandmother successfully apply for registration as a British citizen under this provision. As the US permits dual-nationality, registration as a British citizen under this route will also not interfere with existing US citizenship. To find out if you could be eligible to apply, you can read our article here.

Don’t make your visit to the UK a bogey

Before setting your sights on the golf course, make sure that you have your UK entry plan in good order so you don’t have your first bogey before getting on the first tee.

Please contact our Immigration team if you need further assistance, as they advise on a range of immigration matters, including ancestral British citizenship claims.

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