Easier Than Ever: Indonesians Travelling to the UK Now Use Electronic Visa

From 25 February 2026, the United Kingdom government will officially migrate its entire immigration system online. Indonesians wishing to travel to the UK will now only need an electronic visa (e-Visa) to replace the visa vignette in their passport and biometric residence cards (BRCs). ‘This update is part of our commitment to continually improve service and make travelling to the UK easier,’ said the British Embassy in Jakarta in an official Instagram video @ukinindonesia posted on Friday, 13 February 2026.

To obtain a UK electronic visa, travellers must have a digitally created UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. Creating a UKVI account is free via the UK government’s official website. The UKVI account creation also requires a phone number and email address to access the e-Visa, as cited on the UK government site.

The UK e-Visa will be linked directly to the passport, automatically synchronising the Airline Passenger Data (API) and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

The cost of a UK visitor visa applies to standard visas with a maximum stay of up to six months.

Now 85 countries that previously enjoyed visa-free access to the UK will be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling to the country from 25 February 2026.

ETA is different from a visa. The ETA is a digital permit that remains mandatory for visa-free travellers, but the process is simpler.

The UK ETA is valid for two years or until the passport expires and allows travellers to undertake multiple visits to the UK, according to the BBC on Friday, 6 March 2026.

Visits may be for purposes such as tourism, business or short-term study.

The ETA creation cost is set at £16 or around IDR 360,000. The UK government plans to raise the ETA fee to £20 in the future (around IDR 450,000).