One question, five possible answers
As borders go digital, "do I need a visa?" has become "which authorisation do I need — and is it a visa at all?" For travel to the West there are now five systems that matter: the US ESTA, the US B1/B2 visitor visa, the UK ETA, Europe's ETIAS and the Canada eTA. Which one applies to you depends on exactly two things: your nationality and where you are going. This guide walks through all five in plain language — but if you just want the answer, our free visa checker tells you in seconds which requirement applies to your passport and destination.
The five options, one by one
ESTA — the United States, for visa-waiver nationals
Who it is for: citizens of the ~40 Visa Waiver Program countries — most of the EU, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and others — visiting the US for tourism, business or transit.
Fee and validity: $40, valid two years (or until your passport expires), multiple entries, stays up to 90 days. Applied for online; most approvals arrive within a day, so allow at least 72 hours. Full details in our ESTA guide.
B1/B2 visitor visa — the United States, for everyone else
This is the path most comparison articles skip, and it affects the majority of the world's travellers: if your passport is not in the Visa Waiver Program, no ESTA exists for you. Citizens of India, China, Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria and most of Africa, Asia and Latin America need an actual B1/B2 visitor visa to enter the US. That means completing the DS-160 form online, paying the $185 government (MRV) fee, and attending an interview at a US embassy or consulate. It is a genuine visa: more paperwork, real waiting times for interview slots — but once issued it is often valid for up to ten years with multiple entries, depending on nationality. Our B1/B2 visa requirements guide covers the process step by step.
UK ETA — the United Kingdom
Who it is for: everyone who could previously visit the UK without a visa — including Americans, Canadians, Australians and, since 2025, EU citizens. Fee and validity: £20, valid two years (or until your passport expires), multiple entries, stays up to six months. A short online or app application, usually decided within days. See our UK ETA guide.
ETIAS — Schengen Europe (not open yet)
ETIAS will eventually cover visa-free visitors to 30 European countries: one authorisation for the whole Schengen area, planned at €20 with three-year validity. The crucial fact: ETIAS is not open, and as of July 2026 the EU has published no launch date. Nothing is required today — visa-free travellers keep entering Europe exactly as before under the 90/180-day rule — and any website claiming to accept ETIAS applications right now is not legitimate. Read what is actually known in our ETIAS guide.
Canada eTA — Canada, by air
Who it is for: visa-exempt nationals (the UK, EU, Australia, Japan and ~50 others) flying to or transiting through Canada — it is not needed at land or sea borders, and US citizens and green-card holders are exempt entirely. Fee and validity: CA$7 — the cheapest of the lot — valid five years or until your passport expires, multiple entries, stays typically up to six months. Online application, often approved in minutes. Full details in our Canada eTA guide.
Which do you need? Common scenarios
- German (or French, Spanish, Italian…) citizen visiting New York → ESTA. All EU Visa Waiver Program members qualify.
- Indian citizen visiting the US → B1/B2 visitor visa via DS-160. India is not in the Visa Waiver Program, so no ESTA is possible.
- American visiting London → UK ETA. US citizens now need one for any UK visit up to six months.
- Brazilian citizen visiting Miami → B1/B2 visitor visa. Brazil is not a Visa Waiver Program country either.
- Australian visiting Paris → nothing today. ETIAS will apply once it launches, but no start date is published, so current travel is unchanged.
- British citizen flying to Toronto → Canada eTA. Driving in from the US instead? No eTA needed at the land border.
- EU citizen touring New York and London in one trip → both an ESTA and a UK ETA. Authorisations are destination-specific, and one trip can need several.
Your situation not listed? The visa checker handles every combination we support, and the visa requirements hub has a dedicated page for each nationality and destination.
What the four authorisations have in common
- All are completed online before travel and linked electronically to your passport — no embassy visit, no interview.
- None is a visa. They cover short stays only: tourism, business meetings, family visits, transit. Working or moving abroad needs a proper visa regardless.
- All are multi-entry: apply once, travel repeatedly for two to five years.
- Approval lets you board — the border officer always makes the final entry decision.
The B1/B2 is the odd one out: a real visa with a real interview. If the US is your destination, which path you take is decided purely by whether your nationality is in the Visa Waiver Program — there is no choosing between them.
Budgeting a multi-country trip
Government fees range from CA$7 to $185, and a single itinerary can stack several: a traveller covering the US, the UK and Canada in one year could pay for an ESTA, a UK ETA and an eTA before booking a single hotel. To see the true paperwork cost of an itinerary — including processing options — try our entry cost calculator.
The bottom line
Match your passport to your destination: ESTA or B1/B2 for the US (the Visa Waiver Program decides which), UK ETA for the UK, eTA for flying to Canada, and — for now — nothing extra for Europe until ETIAS actually launches. When in doubt, check your exact requirement before you book, and apply early: fast approval is the norm in every system, but never the promise.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need more than one travel authorisation?
Possibly. They are destination-specific, so visiting the US, UK, Europe and Canada in one year could mean holding an ESTA, a UK ETA and a Canada eTA — and, once it launches, an ETIAS for Europe.
What if my country is not in the US Visa Waiver Program?
Then no ESTA exists for you. You need a B1/B2 visitor visa instead: the DS-160 form online, the $185 government fee, and an interview at a US embassy or consulate. Citizens of India, China, Brazil and most of Africa, Asia and Latin America take this route.
Which travel authorisation is the cheapest?
The Canada eTA at CA$7. The UK ETA is £20, ETIAS is planned at €20, ESTA is $40 — and the US B1/B2 visitor visa fee is $185.
Which one lasts the longest?
Among the authorisations, the Canada eTA at five years; ETIAS is planned for three, while ESTA and the UK ETA last two. A B1/B2 visitor visa — a full visa, not an authorisation — can be issued for up to ten years depending on nationality.
When does ETIAS launch?
There is no published launch date as of July 2026. Nothing is required for Europe today — visa-free travel continues unchanged — and no legitimate site can accept an ETIAS application yet.
Are any of these a visa?
The four authorisations — ESTA, UK ETA, ETIAS and Canada eTA — are not visas; they are online approvals for visa-exempt travellers. The US B1/B2 is a real visa, with a consular interview, for nationalities the Visa Waiver Program does not cover.