What documents can a Frenchman use to travel to the United Kingdom?

Verified 02 April 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The conditions for entering the UK differ depending on whether you are an adult or a minor, whether you have resident status or not, and whether you leave for more or less than 6 months. We present you with the information you need to know.

Journey of a major

The documents required to travel to the United Kingdom differ depending on whether you are traveling for less than 6 months or more than 6 months.

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Less than 6 months

To travel to the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland), you must present the following documents:

  • Valid passport at the border
  • Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).

The ETA application can be made on the UK ETA website:

Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to travel to the United Kingdom

To make the request, you will need your passport, a digital photograph, a valid email address and a means of payment.

The cost of ETA is £10, or about €12. But as of April 9, 2025, the price goes up to £16, or about €19.

The processing time for your request is 3 working days.

ETA is valid for 2 years or until your passport expires.

FYI  

If you are going to visit a family member or for business travel punctualNo, you don't need a visa.

Only the French have a status (provisional or not) of resident (called Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status) in the United Kingdom may continue to present their identity cards until 2025.

Warning  

If you are stopping at an international airport in the United Kingdom, it is recommended to check the documents required by your country of destination. If necessary, you will need to make a visa application.

More than 6 months

To travel to the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland), you must present, at the border, the subsequent documents :

Travel of a minor

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The miner travels with one of his parents

To travel to the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland), the minor must present the following documents:

  • Passport valid (i.e. valid).
  • Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).

The ETA application can be made on the UK ETA website:

Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to travel to the United Kingdom

If you are applying for your child, you will need his passport, a digital photograph of the minor, a valid email address and a means of payment.

The cost of ETA is £10, or about €12. But as of April 9, 2025, the price goes up to £16, or about €19.

The processing time for the application is 3 working days.

The ETA is valid for 2 years or until the minor's passport expires.

FYI  

If a minor goes to the UK less than 6 monthsHowever, to visit his family, for example, he does not need a visa.

Only French minors with a status (provisional or not) of resident (Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status) in the United Kingdom may continue to present their identity cards until 2025.

The minor travels alone or with another person

To travel to the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland), must have the following documents with him:

The ETA application can be made on the UK ETA website:

Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to travel to the United Kingdom

If you are applying for your child, you will need his passport, a digital photograph of the minor, a valid email address and a means of payment.

The cost of ETA is £10, or about €12. But as of April 9, 2025, the price goes up to £16, or about €19.

The processing time for the application is 3 working days.

The ETA is valid for 2 years or until the minor's passport expires.

Only French minors with a status (provisional or not) of resident (Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status) in the United Kingdom may continue to present their identity cards until 2025.

FYI  

As part of a school trip, the child may travel to the United Kingdom without passport, if the following conditions are met:

  • The trip must be organized by a recognized school or organization.
  • The minor is a citizen of a country of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

Upon entry into the territory, the accompanying persons must present a collective list of school travelers. This document, drawn up by the school and validated by the authorities, replaces the individual passport if the minor does not have one. This requires parental consent and includes information about the child.

Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to travel to the United Kingdom

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