UK ETA for the Ashes 2027: Guide for Australia Fans

Australian and other overseas fans need a UK ETA for the Ashes 2027 before they board a flight to England. The five-Test series runs from 18 June to 2 August 2027 across Nottingham, London, Birmingham and Southampton, and every visa-free visitor now needs this £20 travel permit to get in. This guide covers who needs one, when to apply, and how the fixtures shape your trip.

TL;DR: Australia, New Zealand, US and most European fans travelling to the Ashes 2027 must hold a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation. It costs £20, stays valid for two years, and usually arrives within three working days. Apply on gov.uk/eta well before you book flights around the Test schedule.

Cricket fans planning a long-haul summer should sort the paperwork first. For the full background on the permit itself, our ETA England complete guide walks through the basics, while Australians can read the dedicated UK ETA guide for Australians and New Zealanders.

Do you need a UK ETA for the Ashes tour of England?

Yes. If you hold an Australian, New Zealand, American, Canadian or EU passport, you need this permit to attend the Ashes 2027 in England. It became mandatory for every visa-free visitor on 25 February 2026, and airlines verify it at the gate before you board. No permit means no boarding, whatever your match tickets say.

Australia is a visa-free country for short visits, so Australian fans do not apply for a full visitor visa. They apply for the ETA instead (UK Home Office guidance). The same rule catches New Zealand supporters, American cricket tragics and European travellers. British and Irish citizens are exempt, and so is anyone who already holds a UK visa or settled status.

One permit covers the whole tour. The ETA allows unlimited entries for two years, with each stay capped at six months. So a single application handles all five Tests, plus any side trips. Check your status on gov.uk UK ETA-geschiktheid, onze eligible nationalities guide, or the list of who does not need a UK ETA.

Ashes 2027 schedule: five Tests, five grounds

The Ashes 2027 spans five Tests at five grounds, opening at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on 18 June and closing at The Oval in London on 2 August 2027. The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the full fixture list on 23 July 2026. Nottingham hosts the first men’s Ashes Test there since 2015, and Southampton joins the roster for the very first time.

The Utilita Bowl (the Rose Bowl) becomes the tenth different UK ground to stage a men’s Ashes Test (ECB fixtures announcement). Two Tests sit in London, which helps if you want a fixed base. Lord’s publishes its own match-day details on the Lord’s 2027 internationals page.

New to the game? Newcomers heading over with friends can skim our plain-English cricket rules for beginners before the first ball.

How to get your UK ETA for the Ashes 2027

Getting your permit takes roughly ten minutes online, and most fans are approved within three working days. You apply through the official UK ETA app or the gov.uk web form, pay the £20 fee, and wait for a confirmation email that links the authorisation to your passport. Have your passport and a payment card ready before you start.

1. Open the official channel. Gebruik de gov.uk ETA service or the UK ETA app. Compare the two in our app vs online comparison.
2. Scan your passport and take a photo. The app reads the chip; the web form asks you to upload images. Our step-by-step app guide shows each screen.
3. Answer the questions and pay £20. You confirm personal details and answer a few suitability questions, then pay the fee. See what that £20 covers in our cost breakdown.
4. Wacht op het besluit. Most approvals land within minutes to three working days. The ETA links to your passport automatically — there is nothing to print.

Pro tip: Apply for everyone on the trip in one sitting, and double-check each passport number against the booking. A single mistyped digit can delay a child’s ETA and hold up the whole family at check-in.

Want the exact price and payment steps first? Our UK ETA price guide en de ETA fee explainer lay out every cost.

Would you rather not fill in the form yourself? We are an independent assistance service, not the government — you can apply directly on gov.uk for £20, or let us check and submit your application so nothing gets missed. Travelling with older relatives who find online forms fiddly? We handle the details so match day stays the focus.

When to apply for the ETA before the Ashes 2027

Apply for your ETA the moment your Ashes 2027 plans are set — ideally two to three weeks before departure, and never later than three working days before you fly. The permit costs only £20 and lasts two years, so booking it early carries no downside. Flights and hotels around five Tests are the hard part; the authorisation is the easy win you can bank straight away.

Picture a Melbourne family flying Sydney to Heathrow for the Lord’s Test at the end of June. They book flights in January, and they should lodge the ETA the same week — long before the June rush. Leaving it to the airport gate is the one avoidable mistake. The official Home Office ETA factsheet (April 2026) confirms the three-working-day guideline.

Fans often combine cricket with other summer plans. If you are pairing a Test with a gig, see our guide to a UK ETA for concerts, or read how the same permit worked for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Getting between the Ashes 2027 grounds

All five Ashes 2027 grounds sit on Britain’s rail network, so most supporters travel city to city by train rather than car. London to Birmingham runs under 90 minutes, London to Nottingham about two hours, and London to Southampton roughly 75 minutes. Booking ahead through National Rail keeps fares down when demand spikes on match days.

Two Tests in London — Lord’s and The Oval — make the capital a natural hub. From there, day trips or short hops cover Edgbaston and the Utilita Bowl. Say you land in Edinburgh for a few days first: the East Coast line runs straight down to Nottingham for the opener, so a Scotland-then-cricket route works well. Compare fares and times on Nationale Spoorwegen, keep the UK’s emergency number (999) saved, and travelling parents can check our family ETA FAQ.

Still weighing up the trip? The cricket is the reason you are going; the travel permit is simply the ticket that lets you through the door. Sort it early, keep the confirmation email handy, and you can spend the summer thinking about line-ups and lunch intervals instead of paperwork. Our team is here if a question comes up along the way.

Veelgestelde vragen

Do I need a UK ETA for the Ashes if I only visit Lord’s?

Yes. Any visa-free visitor entering England needs a UK ETA, even for a single Test at Lord’s. One £20 permit covers the whole stay, so it also works if you add other grounds later.

How much does the UK ETA cost in 2027?

The UK ETA costs £20 per person. The fee rose from £16 to £20 on 8 April 2026 and applies to every applicant, including children.

How long does the ETA last?

An approved ETA is valid for two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. It allows unlimited trips, with each visit lasting up to six months.

Do Australian fans need a visa or an ETA?

Australians need an ETA, not a visitor visa. Australia is a visa-free country for short UK visits, so fans apply for the £20 ETA rather than a full visa.

How early should I apply before the first Test?

Apply two to three weeks ahead. Most decisions arrive within three working days, but early application protects you if extra checks are needed before 18 June 2027.

Does one ETA cover all five Tests?

Yes. The ETA permits unlimited entries for two years, so a single application covers Trent Bridge, Lord’s, Edgbaston, the Utilita Bowl and The Oval.

What if I also visit Ireland during the tour?

Ireland is outside the UK ETA scheme, so a trip to Dublin does not need one. You do, however, still need your UK ETA for every English Test venue.

Can children get their own ETA?

Yes, and they must. Every traveller needs an individual ETA regardless of age, and each child’s £20 permit is linked to their own passport.

Related reading

• ETA England 2026 — complete guide
• UK ETA for Australians and New Zealanders
• How to apply using the UK ETA app

Book your Ashes 2027 flights with confidence: sort the UK ETA for the Ashes first, then chase the tickets. The permit is £20, lasts two years and takes minutes, yet it is the one document that decides whether you board. Do it the week you commit to the trip.

Last updated: 2026-09-21 — verified against gov.uk schedule.