Travel documents and requirements

Travelling to the UK your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.

Travelling to the EU, your passport must be:

• Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the EU (check the ‘date of issue’)
• Valid for at least 3 months after the date you leave the EU (check the ‘expiry date’)

Before you can collect your ticket(s), you need to submit your Advance Passenger Information (API), which includes your travel document details.

When do I need to provide my API?

If you've already bought a Eurostar ticket, you'll need to provide your API as soon as possible before departure. You won’t be able to collect your ticket(s) until you do.

How do I provide my API?

Complete API in the Eurostar app or go to Manage your booking. Remember to have your travel document to hand.

If you travel often, you can save your API info in your Eurostar account to save time.

Find out more about API here.

An ETA is a digital permission to travel to the UK. It’s required for short stays of up to 6 months for tourism, visiting friends and family, business and short-term studies.

Important: Travellers needing an ETA cannot travel to the UK without one. Please apply well in advance so you have the right documents to board your train.

Do I need an ETA?

If you don’t require a visa to travel to the UK for a short stay of up to 6 months, you’ll need an ETA, unless exempt. Check who needs an ETA on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).

Does a child need an ETA?

If they’re not exempt, they’ll need an ETA, no matter their age.

How much does it cost?

It costs £16 per applicant and, when granted, is linked electronically to your passport.

How long is an ETA valid for?

It’s valid for 2 years or until the passport your ETA is linked to expires – whichever comes first.

When should I apply for an ETA?

Please apply before booking your trip, where possible. Most applications are processed within 3 working days, but it may occasionally take longer. The UK government recommends only applying through official channels. Learn more about applying on GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).

I have dual citizenship. What do I do?

If you’re a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you cannot get an ETA. When you travel to the UK, you’ll need to prove your citizenship using either:

• a valid British passport.
• a valid Irish passport.
• a valid passport containing a certificate of entitlement (opens in a new tab)

My stay is longer than 6 months or for a different reason. What should I do?

Please check this GOV.UK page (opens in a new tab) to see if you need a visa.

Short and long-stay visa enquiries

• UK: UK government website (opens in a new tab)
• France: French government website (opens in a new tab)
• Belgium: Belgian government website (opens in a new tab)
• The Netherlands: Dutch government website (opens in a new tab)
• Germany: German government website (opens in a new tab)

If you currently use any of these physical UK immigration documents, you’ll need to replace it with an online immigration status called an eVisa: ​

• Biometric residence cards (BRC)​
• Passport endorsements, such as indefinite leave to enter wet ink stamps​
• Vignette stickers in passports, such as entry clearance or visa vignettes​

Biometric residence permits (BRP) have already been replaced by eVisas.

Please visit GOV.UK (opens in a new tab) to check how to access your eVisa. You’ll need to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account first if you don’t already have one.

If you already have a UKVI account, please check that your details are up to date (opens in a new tab) to avoid extra checks at border control.

Non-UK and non-EU children travelling to the UK with:

• A French school using the France-UK school trip travel information form (opens in a new tab) will need a valid passport
• A school from another country will need a valid passport and possibly a visa or an ETA (opens in a new tab).

Anyone under the age of 18 travels under the responsibility of their parents, guardians, or other persons whom the parents have authorised.

Parents or guardians must make sure their child or teenager possesses all necessary documents for their journey.

ID, passport, travel authorisations, and visas

There are different requirements for journeys to/from London and for journeys on our other routes. Please refer to the travel document info on this page.

Written consent and other legal papers

The following documents may also be required:

• Written consent (whether the child is travelling with a parent, non-parent, or alone).
• Other supporting documents (such as birth certificates and legal papers to prove guardianship).

As rules may vary from country to country, please check the latest government advice for both the departure and destination countries.

Unaccompanied travellers under 18

Children or teenagers can only travel without an adult under certain conditions. Please read the relevant section below.

Children under 12 years old

Children under 12 must travel with a responsible person aged 16 or older.

Children 12 to 15 years old (inclusive)

Children 12 to 15 (inclusive) can travel on their own to some Eurostar destinations, as long as they’ve got a fully completed Eurostar unaccompanied minor form (opens in a new tab) (opens a PDF)  and only travel on trains departing between 06:00 and 17:00 local time.

The form must be signed by their parent or legal guardian (or by a responsible adult, aged 18 or over, given consent by the parent or legal guardian) at the station in the presence of a member of the Eurostar team.

The child will need to keep this signed form with them throughout their journey and show it to the onboard team if they’re asked.

When the parent or legal guardian gives written consent for the young person to travel, they accept and agree that the young person will travel unaccompanied and be treated as an adult passenger (ie the young person will not be supervised by a member of the Eurostar team) for the entirety of the trip.

The responsible person must also ensure arrangements are in place for the young person to be met on arrival.

Please note: Children under 16 years of age cannot travel unaccompanied on our direct trains to or from the Netherlands.

Documents the child will need:

• Eurostar ticket
• Passport
• Visa or travel authorisation (where applicable)
• Eurostar unaccompanied minor form (opens in a new tab) (opens a PDF) signed by a parent or legal guardian
  

Additional requirements for French residents

As above, plus:

• Authorisation des sorties de territoire (AST) form (opens in a new tab) signed by a parent
• Photocopy of the identity card or passport of the parent who has signed the AST form

Minors 16 and 17 years old

16 to 17-year-olds can travel by themselves, as long as they’ve got all the usual travel documents and meet all the legal requirements.

Documents the child will need:

• Eurostar ticket
• Passport
• Visa or travel authorisation (where applicable)

Additional requirements for French residents

As above, plus:

• Authorisation des sorties de territoire (AST) form (opens in a new tab) signed by a parent
• Photocopy of the identity card or passport of the parent who has signed the AST form

All children and teenagers under the age of 18, whether accompanied or not, travel under the responsibility of their parents (or guardians or other persons whom the parents have authorised to accompany them). Parents or guardians must make sure that anyone travelling under the age of 18 possesses the necessary documents to cross any national border.

Children under 12 years old are not permitted to travel alone on our routes between Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Anyone under 18 who is a French citizen or a foreigner living in France must complete an Autorisation de sortie du territoire (AST) (opens in a new tab) form before they travel alone or without their parents. This applies to journeys from France.