The United Kingdom now requires that those travelling to the UK who previously did not require a visa must secure an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before they can enter the UK.
The UK Home Office made the announcement on Monday, September 4.
The new ETA requirement will start in November 2023 beginning with “non-visa nationals” such as the Gulf states of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and ultimately including all other countries whose citizens previously enjoyed visa waivers status such the US, EU and some Commonwealth countries. The new rule applies to adults and children alike.
The Home Office says ETAs will be in place for all relevant nationalities “by the end of 2024”.
The UK has now joined a growing list of countries with similar travel requirements such as Canada, Australia and a few others.
This now means effectively that some entry approval whether ETA’s or visas are mandatory for all travelers to the UK, except British and Irish citizens only.
The UK Home Office says the scheme is intended to help improve border security and reduce the number of people often denied entry at the border due to several issues such as criminal records.
Reasons for the new requirement
To travel to the UK, you must now apply online or via an app to secure an ETA before actually embarking on your trip. The computer-automated process could issue ETA’s “within 3 working days of application. Applicants may be refused an ETA because of past criminal records or overstaying on a previous visit.
An ETA will be valid for multiple entries but will expire after two years. People will need to apply for a new ETA after that, or if they change their passport.
Cost
The Home Office did not specifically confirm the cost of ETA application but said it will be “competitive with that of equivalent systems run by other countries”. Currently similar Australian and European electronic travel authorizations cost about £11 and £6 respectively.
Who needs ETA and who doesn’t?
ETAs are for “non-visa nationals“, who do not need a visa for short trips to the UK (for example, American tourists or EU business visitors).
People who have a visa will not need an ETA as well. There is no change for people arriving on family or work visas or who are currently required to apply for a visitor visa in advance.
British and Irish citizens and people lawfully resident in Ireland who arrive via the Common Travel Area will not need ETAs.
Traveling without ETA now an offence?
Furthermore, the Home Office says it’s collaborating with airlines to ensure that passengers traveling to UK without the ETA may be denied boarding by the carriers and may be refused entry at the border.
It will also be a criminal offence to arrive or enter UK without an ETA, if one is required.
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