Travellers heading to the UK will have to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) starting Wednesday, January 8, 2025. The new requirement applies to citizens of 48 countries, including six million travellers from the US, Canada, and Australia to enter the UK.
The full list of countries can be found on the UK government website. Additionally, EU citizens will need an ETA starting April 2, 2025. Citizens of these nations already residing in the UK do not require an ETA. Individuals can apply for an ETA through the official app listed on the UK government website.
In the past, digital permission to travel was only required for nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The application process takes around 20 minutes and requires uploading a photo of your passport and photograph, answering questions about travel plans, and paying a non-refundable fee of £10 (approximately $12.50).
ETAs are valid for two years and allow for multiple entries. They are digitally linked to passports, so if a traveller gets a new passport during those two years, they will need to apply for a new ETA. The ETAs are not visas but a visa waiver and travellers who need a visa to enter the UK will still need to apply for one; however, they won’t need to get the ETA.
It is designed to enhance security by pre-screening travellers. It is introduced to modernise the border control system, streamline the entry process for travellers and reduce potential risks.
You require an ETA if you are travelling to the UK for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business, or short-term study. Additionally, an ETA is necessary for those coming to the UK for up to three months on the Creative Worker visa concession, for a permitted paid engagement, or when transiting through the UK.
However, there are exceptions to this requirement. If you have a visa, permission to live, work, or study in the UK, or are a British or Irish citizen, you do not need an ETA. The same applies to individuals travelling with a British overseas-territories citizen passport, living in Ireland and travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, or the Isle of Man, or holding dual British or Irish citizenship.
It is essential to understand that an ETA has limitations. It does not permit you to stay in the UK for longer than six months, engage in paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person (except for permitted paid engagements or events or work on the Creative Worker visa concession), live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, claim public funds, marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership.(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
Source: https://search.app/ehXDEDvdK3GSfD2Q7
