Klíčové poznatky
Taiwanese citizens with an ID-numbered passport need a £20 UK ETA in 2026. See eligibility, cost, how to apply from Taiwan and what to expect at the border.
Taiwanese citizens need a UK ETA to visit Britain in 2026, provided their passport shows a personal ID number — the £20 authorisation is bought online and linked to that passport. Taiwan is a non-visa nationality for short UK stays, so the ETA replaced the old on-arrival check. Here is who qualifies, the cost, the application from Taiwan, and what the border looks like now.
TL;DR: A UK ETA for Taiwanese citizens is required for visits of up to six months. Your Taiwan passport must include a national ID number. The ETA costs £20, lasts two years or until the passport expires, and permits unlimited trips. Approval is often instant; leave three working days to be safe.
| Quick facts for Taiwanese travellers | Detail (2026) |
|---|---|
| Potřebujete to? | Yes, if your passport has an ID number |
| Poplatek | £20 per person (about TWD 830) |
| Platnost | 2 roky nebo do vypršení platnosti pasu |
| Maximální délka pobytu | 6 měsíců na jednu návštěvu |
| Pas je vyžadován | Biometric Taiwan passport with ID number |
| Doba rozhodování | Often minutes; allow 3 working days |
Klíčová fakta na první pohled:
- Taiwan passport holders qualify for the ETA only if the passport contains a personal ID number (gov.uk/eta).
- The fee moved to £20 on 8 April 2026, having been £16 before.
- A single approval covers unlimited entries across two years, each stay lasting no more than six months.
- Every person travelling needs their own ETA — there is no group application.
- Applications go through the official UK ETA app or website, well before departure.
Want to confirm your route first? Start with the požadavky na vstup do Spojeného království checklist, then run your details through the kontrola víz na gov.uk.

Do Taiwanese citizens need a UK ETA?
Yes, with one condition: a UK ETA for Taiwanese citizens applies to anyone whose Taiwan passport carries a personal ID number, which covers the vast majority of ordinary passports. That ID number is what grants Taiwan its visa-free access to the UK. Without it, a passport does not qualify for the ETA and a visa would be needed instead.
The authorisation suits holidays, family visits and short business trips of up to six months. Longer study, employment or settlement fall outside it and require a visa. Travelling on two passports? See který pas používat, pokud máte dva první.
How much does a UK ETA cost for Taiwanese travellers?
Each Taiwanese traveller pays £20 for the ETA — roughly TWD 830 in mid-2026 — and that single fee unlocks two years of trips. The charge rose from £16 to £20 on 8 April 2026, so treat any lower figure as outdated. Families pay per person, with no bulk rate: two adults and two children come to £80.
Dig into the numbers with poplatek UK ETA ve výši £20, úplný přehled nákladů a přijaté způsoby platby. Charged much more than £20 somewhere? That is a red flag — read jak rozpoznat padělané ETA webové stránky.
| Skupina | Potřebné UK ETA | Celkové náklady |
|---|---|---|
| Samostatný cestovatel | 1 | £20 |
| Pár | 2 | £40 |
| Rodina čtyř osob | 4 | £80 |

How to apply for a UK ETA from Taiwan
From Taiwan, the application takes around 15 minutes on the official app or website, using your ID-numbered passport and a card to pay. You enter passport details, add a photo, and answer short background questions. Decisions often arrive within the hour, yet the Home Office suggests planning for up to three working days.
Work through it like this:
- Confirm the passport. It must be biometric and carry a personal ID number. Not sure it is still valid? Zkontrolujte si platnost cestovního pasu.
- Have your basics ready. A card, an email address, and the items in dokumenty, které potřebujete k podání žádosti.
- Submit the form. Add your details, upload the photo, answer the questions and pay the £20.
- Follow the outcome. Use zkontrolujte stav své žádosti UK ETA; approval attaches to the passport by itself.

Rather hand the form to someone else? We can look over your answers and file the application for you — often asked for by families arranging a trip for elderly parents in Taichung or Kaohsiung who would sooner avoid the online steps. The itinerary stays yours; we simply stop the small slips that cause hold-ups.
What Taiwanese passport holders should know at the UK border
With an approved ETA, Taiwanese citizens clear the UK border at an ePassport gate or a Border Force desk, and the permission is verified digitally with no card to fill in. Anyone aged 8 or over can use the eGates found at the main airports. A scan of the chip and a face match confirm your ETA within moments.
Keep your onward ticket and accommodation details to hand. Extra questions are uncommon, though a brief chat about why you are visiting can happen on a first arrival. The gov.uk travel advice for Taiwan a British Office Taipei pages are handy references before departure.
Profesionální tip: Sort the ETA before buying flights. Most approvals come through fast, but a manual review can run to three working days — waiting on those tickets until you are cleared removes the only genuine risk.

Picture a Taipei family flying to London during the Lunar New Year break. Each of the four applies a fortnight ahead, pays £20, and is approved the same afternoon. Landing at Heathrow, they go straight to the eGates, tap their passports, and are through in a minute — the ETA quietly handled the paperwork weeks earlier.
Practical tips for Taiwanese travellers heading to the UK
Three simple moves head off almost every issue: apply ahead of time, use only the official channel, and make sure each traveller has an ETA of their own. None of this changes by destination — London, Manchester and Edinburgh follow identical rules.

A final tip smooths a first visit: keep a screenshot of the approval email. Because the ETA is digital and bound to your passport, you almost never need to show it — but having it ready settles any question at the check-in desk in seconds.
- Mind the timing. Even with quick approvals, kdy si podat žádost o UK ETA shows why a buffer helps.
- Passport due for renewal? The ETA ties to your current one, so a new passport means a fresh application — see obnovením vašeho UK ETA.
- Children in the group? Each needs their own: UK ETA pro děti a novorozence.
- Exploring beyond England? One ETA covers the country — try návštěva Skotska s UK ETA a cestování do Walesu.
- Had a refusal? Co dělat, když je vaše ETA zamítnuta sets out your options.
Jsme nezávislá poradenská služba, nikoli státní orgán. Můžete se přihlásit přímo na gov.uk (£20), nebo využít naši službu kontroly a podpory.
Prefer expert eyes on it before paying? Our team checks and submits the ETA so nothing gets overlooked — a relief when you are booking on behalf of relatives who would rather not tackle the form.
Frequently asked questions: UK ETA for Taiwanese citizens
Do Taiwanese citizens need a UK ETA in 2026?
Yes, if the Taiwan passport contains a personal ID number. A UK ETA for Taiwanese citizens then covers stays of up to six months and links to that passport.
What if my Taiwan passport has no ID number?
Then it does not qualify for visa-free travel or the ETA, and you would need a UK visa instead. Check your eligibility with the gov.uk visa checker before booking.
How much is the UK ETA for Taiwanese passport holders?
The fee is £20 per person for two years. It rose from £16 on 8 April 2026, and every traveller pays the same amount (gov.uk/eta).
Can Taiwanese travellers work in the UK on an ETA?
No. The ETA is for tourism, family visits and short business trips. Employment or long courses require a visa, which the gov.uk visa checker will identify.
How quickly is the UK ETA approved for Taiwanese applicants?
Approvals often land within the hour. Even so, allow up to three working days, as some applications are held for extra checks.
Do Taiwanese children need their own ETA?
Yes. Each child, including infants, needs an individual ETA, applied for by a parent using the child’s passport.
Is the UK ETA a visa for Taiwanese citizens?
No. It is a travel authorisation, not a visa. Taiwanese passport holders with an ID number use it precisely because they already have visa-free access for short stays.
What happens without an ETA at the airport?
The airline can deny boarding under the “no permission, no travel” policy. Apply before you head to the airport, not on the day of the flight.
Last updated: 2026-10-11 — verified against the gov.uk schedule.
