You Want to Visit the UK? You Better Have a Google Play or App Store Account | Philip Heltweg
www.heltweg.org
New immigration rules for the UK are being enforced starting February 2026. This means citizens of 85 additional countries (including the USA and European countries) will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit, even for tourism. Luckily, you can apply (and pay) digitally. Unfortunately, the government very much would prefer you to do so using the official app.

This is post is really wtf?

(Tinfoil hat on) Would be interesting to do an investigation on what the app is doing other than allowing you to register if they are insisting so much on having people install it.

  • PonyOfWar@pawb.socialEnglish
    45·
    4 days ago

    Tl;Dr you don’t actually need the app, they just hid the button for the browser-based option pretty well.

      • Leon@pawb.socialEnglish
        19·
        4 days ago

        Holy shit that’s nasty. From the linked page

        • Click the Apply for an ETA link
        • Scroll down and click the green Start now > button
        • Scroll down below the QR code and click the link I cannot apply on the UK ETA app.
          • Clicking the “the app is not available for my phone” link doesn’t help you, it says to borrow a phone lmao
        • Scroll down and click the Continue application online link

        Scum! Which I guess is to be expected of the English.

        • Elvith Ma'for@feddit.orgEnglish
          6·
          4 days ago

          That’s what I’d expected if Monty Python tried to design this process for a sketch. Which… Is very British. So…