Applications are now open for non-Europeans to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) which will cost travellers £10 each.
The UK Government is introducing ETA for millions of visitors who pass through the UK border every year, including six million from the USA, Canada and Australia. From Wednesday, all eligible non-European visitors can apply for an ETA and will need one to travel to the UK from January 8, 2025.
From March 5 2025, ETA will open to eligible Europeans, who will need an ETA to travel to the UK starting from April 2, 2025. From April 2025, all visitors to the UK who do not need a visa for short stays and who do not already have a UK immigration status will need an ETA.
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The Government website states: “This expansion follows the successful rollout of ETAs to Gulf Cooperation Council nationals earlier this year. In the first half of 2024, over 243,000 Gulf nationals were issued with ETAs and can now benefit from smoother, easier travel to the UK for short trips.
“In 2023, visitors from the USA, Canada, and Australia alone contributed £8.8 billion to the UK economy, supporting the UK’s tourist industry and boosting local businesses across the country. ETAs will enhance security through new technology and make the UK border more efficient, preserving the UK’s appeal as a dynamic, diverse, and exciting destination to visit.”
Any eligible visitors should apply for their ETA through the UK ETA app, which usually gives the applicant a decision within hours. However, travellers can also apply on GOV.UK.
The affected nationals are citizens of: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong. Special Administrative Region (including British National (Overseas)), Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States and Uruguay.
Eligible nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries have been required to obtain an ETA for travel to or through the UK since 25 October this year. Eligible Europeans will be able to apply from 5 March 2025 and must have an ETA to travel to the UK from 2 April 2025.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP, said: “This expansion of ETA is a significant step forward in delivering a border that’s efficient and fit for the digital age. Through light-touch screening before people step foot in the UK, we will keep our country safe while ensuring visitors have a smooth travel experience.”
Each ETA will cost £10 and will permit multiple journeys for two years or until the holder’s passport expires — whichever is sooner. Once an applicant has their ETA granted, it will be digitally linked to the traveller’s passport and allow for stays of up to six months at a time — including both short trips and extended stays.
All travellers to the UK, except for British and Irish citizens, will need permission to travel in advance either through an ETA or an eVisa. The hope is that by replacing physical immigration documents with eVisas, UK visa holders will be able to use online immigration services and take control of their own data.
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