Italy to United Kingdom visa requirements

Italian ordinary passport holders do not need a visa for short UK tourist trips, but since 2 April 2025 they must obtain a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling. It costs £20, is valid for 2 years, allows multiple entries and stays of up to 6 months each. As of 19 June 2026, Italy is on GOV.UK's ETA nationality list. Italian ordinary passport holders can visit the United Kingdom as Standard Visitors for tourism, family visits, permitted business activities or short study for up to 6 months without a visa, but they must hold a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travel unless they already have UK immigration permission or another listed exemption. The ETA is a digital permission linked to the passport used in the application; it is not a visa and does not guarantee entry. It costs £20, is valid for 2 years or until the passport expires (whichever comes first), and permits multiple journeys with each stay up to 6 months. Apply online or via the official 'UK ETA' app; most decisions are automatic and arrive within minutes, but GOV.UK/Home Office guidance says to allow at least 3 working days. Most Italian tourists should enter with a valid passport for the whole stay; an Italian national ID card is accepted only in limited cases such as settled/pre-settled status, an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, a frontier worker permit or S2 Healthcare Visitor status. Landside transit through UK border control requires an ETA; the Home Office factsheet says passengers transiting through Heathrow or Manchester without going through UK passport control do not currently need one. The UK is not in the Schengen area, so Schengen 90/180 rules and ETIAS do not apply to UK entry.