You’ve sorted your own UK ETA. Flights are booked, the itinerary is planned, and you’re already picturing the kids at a London Christmas market or feeding pigeons in a park they’ve only seen on YouTube.
Then someone mentions that your toddler might need their own travel authorisation too. Surely not a baby? Surely they can just travel on your application?
Unfortunately, no. If even one family member is missing an approved ETA, the airline can deny boarding for that person at check-in, regardless of how solid the rest of your travel documents are. For a family of four or five, that’s a real risk to plan around, not an afterthought.
The good news: applying for a child is simple once you know what’s different from an adult application. This guide walks Malaysian parents through exactly what’s required, what it costs, and how to avoid the mistakes that trip up most families.
Official UK ETA Portal: https://application.uketa.com.my/
Do Children Really Need Their Own UK ETA?
Yes. Every child travelling to the UK needs their own individual UK ETA, with no exceptions for age. A newborn on their first flight needs one just as much as a sixteen-year-old travelling with the family.
No Age Exemptions, Even for Babies
The UK ETA system doesn’t carve out an exception for minors. Whether your child is six weeks or sixteen years old, they need their own approved ETA before they can board a flight, ferry, or train to the UK. This applies to every non-visa national, and Malaysian passport holders fall into that category.
It’s an easy rule to overlook because most other travel documents work differently. A child usually travels on their own passport but is often “covered” by a parent’s visa or permission in other contexts. The UK ETA doesn’t work that way.
Why a Child Can’t Travel Under a Parent’s ETA
Many parents assume that because their child is young, sitting on a lap, or travelling as part of a group booking, they’re automatically included in the parent’s authorisation. This is incorrect.
An ETA is digitally linked to one specific passport. It cannot cover multiple people, and it cannot be transferred or shared. If your child travels on their own Malaysian passport, that passport needs its own ETA tied to it, separate from yours.
What You Need Before You Apply
Before opening the application, gather these items so the process goes smoothly, especially with a wriggly toddler in the room.
A Valid Biometric Passport for the Child
Every child needs their own passport to apply for a UK ETA. They cannot be added to a parent’s passport for this purpose. If your child doesn’t have a passport yet, apply for one well ahead of your travel dates, since passport processing alone can take several weeks.
Worth checking before you book anything: children’s passports are often issued with shorter validity than adult passports. If the passport expires in eight months, the ETA linked to it will also stop being valid at that point, even if the standard two-year ETA term hasn’t elapsed.
A Compliant Digital Photo
You’ll need a clear digital photo of the child’s face, in JPG or JPEG format. The Home Office relaxes some of the usual rules for children under six, including the requirement for a neutral expression. A photo where a baby isn’t quite stone-faced is generally fine.
What still matters:
- Even, natural lighting (avoid shadows across the face)
- A plain, light-coloured background
- A clean camera lens (a smudged lens is one of the most common causes of rejected photos)
- The child’s face clearly visible, without hands, dummies, or toys covering it
Parent or Guardian Contact Details
Children cannot submit their own application. A parent or legal guardian applies on their behalf, providing their own contact details as the representative for that application. You’ll also need:
- Arrival dates, even if only tentative at this stage
- A credit or debit card for payment
- The child’s passport details (number, issue date, expiry date)
How to Apply for a UK ETA for Your Child (Step-by-Step)
Applying as a Representative
When you start the application, you’ll be asked whether the application is for yourself. Select that you’re applying on behalf of someone else. This tells the system you’re acting as the representative, not the traveller.
You’ll then enter:
- The child’s full details as the Applicant
- Your own contact information as the Representative
- The child’s passport details, exactly as printed
- The digital photo of the child
- Payment for that individual application
Entering the Child’s Details Correctly
Double-check the passport number and expiry date against the physical document, not from memory. A single typo in a passport number is one of the most common reasons families run into problems at the airport, since the ETA won’t match the passport being presented.
If your child has dual nationality or recently renewed their passport, make sure the ETA is linked to the exact passport they’ll be travelling with. An ETA linked to an old, replaced passport won’t help at the border.
Handling the Photo for Babies and Toddlers
This is usually the part parents find hardest. A live face scan through an portal can be difficult with a child who won’t sit still, won’t stop crying, or simply doesn’t understand what’s happening.
A few things that help:
- Try the photo when the child is calm, ideally just after a feed or nap
- Use a plain wall as the background
- If the live scan keeps timing out, look for an application option that accepts a static uploaded photo instead of a live scan, which tends to be far less stressful for younger children
UK ETA Cost for Children
Per-Person Fees, No Family Discount
Every traveller pays the same fee regardless of age. There’s no discount for children, and no option to pay for the whole family in one combined transaction. Each application is submitted and paid for individually.
Budgeting for Larger Families
Because fees are charged per person, costs scale directly with family size. A family of five pays five times the individual fee, not a bundled household rate. It’s worth factoring this into your travel budget early, particularly if you’re booking flights and accommodation around the same time.
The ETA itself is valid for two years, or until the linked passport expires, whichever comes first, and it covers multiple trips during that period. So if you’re likely to visit the UK again within two years, that cost covers more than just this one trip.
How Long Is a Child’s UK ETA Valid?
Passport Expiry vs. ETA Expiry
An adult’s ETA often runs for the full two years because adult passports are usually valid for ten years. Children’s passports are different. Many are issued with five-year validity, and some early childhood passports may have even shorter terms.
If your child’s passport expires in fourteen months, their ETA will also become invalid at that point, well before the standard two-year mark.
What Happens When a Child’s Passport Is Renewed
If your child’s passport is renewed or replaced before your trip, for any reason, you’ll need a new ETA linked to the new passport number. The old ETA stays linked to the old, now-invalid passport and won’t carry over automatically.
This is worth checking a few months before travel, especially if your child is approaching the age where their first passport is due for renewal.
Special Cases Parents Should Know
Children With British or Irish Citizenship
If your child holds British or Irish citizenship, they should travel on their British or Irish passport, and they do not need an ETA. This applies even if the child also holds Malaysian or another nationality.
Children With Dual Nationality
If your child has dual nationality and you intend for them to travel on their Malaysian passport rather than a British or Irish one, they’ll need an ETA linked to that Malaysian passport. Make sure the passport you apply against is the same one you’ll actually present at the airport.
Common Mistakes Parents Make
- Assuming a baby or toddler is covered by a parent’s ETA. They are not. Every traveller needs their own.
- Linking the ETA to the wrong passport after a renewal or when a child holds more than one nationality.
- Submitting a blurry or obstructed photo, which remains one of the top reasons for delays, even with the relaxed rules for younger children.
- Trying to pay for the whole family in one transaction. Each application is paid for separately.
- Leaving it until the last minute. Most decisions arrive within minutes, but some are flagged for manual review, which can take up to three working days.
Practical Tips for a Smooth Family Application
- Check every family member’s passport expiry date before you start, not after.
- Apply for all family members on the same day so you can track everything together.
- Save every confirmation email and the 16-digit reference number somewhere accessible, like a phone photo album.
- Verify that every application has actually been approved before travel, not just submitted.
- If an application is still pending close to your travel date, follow up rather than assuming it will resolve itself.
- Carry the physical passports linked to each approved ETA, along with the confirmation emails, when you travel.
At UK ETA for Malaysian, this is the kind of detail we help families get right the first time, particularly the parts that trip people up, like matching photos to a child’s age and double-checking passport numbers before submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a newborn baby need a UK ETA? Yes. There are no age exemptions under the UK ETA scheme. A newborn travelling on their own passport needs an approved ETA before boarding, just like every other family member.
Can I include my child on my own ETA application? No. Each ETA is linked to one individual passport. A child must have their own passport and their own separate ETA application, even if they’re travelling with you.
How much does a UK ETA cost for a child? Children pay the same per-person fee as adults. There’s no reduced rate for minors, and families cannot combine payments into a single transaction.
What happens if my child’s passport expires before our trip? The ETA becomes invalid at the same time the linked passport expires. If the passport will expire before travel, renew it first, then apply for a new ETA linked to the renewed passport.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Travelling to the UK with children takes a bit more planning now that every family member needs their own ETA, but the process itself is straightforward once you know what’s expected. Sort passports first, prepare a clear photo for each child, and apply for the whole family at the same time so nothing slips through unnoticed.
Start your family’s applications early through uketa.com.my, and double-check each approval before you head to the airport. A bit of preparation now means one less thing to worry about on travel day.
