April 15, 2025, 6:35 a.m. | Reading time: 4 minutes
Since this year, a digital entry permit, also known as ETA, has been required to travel to Great Britain. But since its introduction, there have been more and more traps lurking on the Internet - fraudulent third-party providers charge high fees and often offer no real service at all.
Whether a trip through the Scottish Highlands or a city trip to London – Great Britain is still a popular travel destination. Since the beginning of April, however, you no longer only have to show your passport when entering the country, but also a digital entry permit, the so-called ETA (provided there is no other residence permit or visa). Since their introduction, there have unfortunately been more and more questionable providers on the Internet who use various tricks to lure holidaymakers into a trap. The Schleswig-Holstein consumer advice center has already warned about this. Sunnytrips explains how you can protect yourself from rip-offs when booking your ETA.
Fraudulent offers are not immediately clear
Recognizing fraudulent offers for entry permits is not that easy. Anyone who enters “Apply for ETA Great Britain” in the search engine is usually not redirected directly to the official government website. Instead, third-party providers often appear at the top of the search results and use deceptively realistic websites to give the impression that it is an official offer.
According to the consumer advice center, some providers charge up to 100 euros for the real ETA instead of the regular 20 euros - just for simple filling assistance or mere forwarding. The application is often not actually submitted. The fact that this is not an official service and that additional costs apply often only becomes apparent at the end of the booking process.
It is better to apply for an ETA yourself to protect yourself from rip-offs
Instead of applying to third-party providers, you should only apply for the ETA for Great Britain via the two official channels, according to third-party providers. These are:
1. The ETA app for iOS and Android. It is called “UK ETA” and the Home Office is listed as the publisher of the iOS app. The Android version lists UK Visas and Immigration as the publisher.
2. The UK Home Office website. (https://apply-for-an-eta.homeoffice.gov.uk)
The application currently costs the equivalent of just under 20 euros. The approval granted will be sent via email. So check your inbox in time.
Introduction of the ETA for EU citizens on April 2nd Entry permit for the United Kingdom will be more expensive than expected
Entry ESTA and B2 visa for the USA – application, costs, important information
Fallen for scammers? Don't give up, ask for a refund
Anyone who unintentionally booked through a third-party provider should carefully document the process and request a refund. It may also be helpful to contact the bank or credit card issuer to reverse the payment if necessary.
It is important: All receipts and communication processes should be backed up. Anyone who has provided personal data can request its deletion from the provider in accordance with the GDPR. Information on this and instructions are available on the website of the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information or at the Schleswig-Holstein Consumer Center.
Despite all my caution, I fell for a rip-off when applying for my ETA
In a few weeks I'm going to a festival in London. I already have the plane tickets, so I wanted to take care of the visa straight away. While googling, I came across several sites for the new ETA visa - but I quickly realized that not all of them could be reputable. I paid extra attention to the URL and checked whether the site looked trustworthy. From a purely visual perspective, it did the same; it was structured similarly to the one for the US ESTA. So I entered my details, took a biometric photo and was finally redirected to payment. I became suspicious when I was asked to enter my credit card details without seeing the price. Shortly after I entered everything, I received a push message from my bank: They had blocked my card due to suspicious activity - $90 had been debited. I'm still in shock that even with all my caution I fell for scammers. Luckily no money was lost, but my personal information is now out there somewhere. A really scary thought.
Caution is also advised with ESTA for US entry
According to the consumer advice center, similar problems with unofficial application pages occur not only when traveling to Great Britain, but also regularly in connection with the digital entry permit for the USA (ESTA). If you want to apply for such a permit, you should make sure that the official website always ends in “.gov” – addresses with “.com” or “.org” do not belong to official government offices.
The procedure is often identical for all rip-offs: excessive costs, a lack of transparency and sometimes completely unnecessary services.
With material from dpa
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