What's this ETA?
The ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation and it is essentially entry permission that those who had benefited from visa-free travel to the UK, like tourists need to apply for online in advance of their trip to the UK.
It costs £10, although the UK wants to hike the fee to £16. It's valid two years, allowing multiple entries to the UK while it is valid.
It is modelled on the USA's ESTA visa waiver, and is required for all types of travel including tourism, short stays and family holidays.
Note that this is a visa waiver for people who previously benefited from visa-free travel to the UK for short stays. It does not change the visa requirements for citizens of those nations which require a visa for entry to the UK, such as Indian nationals. They will still need a visa as ETA will not apply to them.
When is it coming into force?
The UK's ETA is being introduced in three stages; it is already a requirement for nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
From Wednesday January 8th 2025 an ETA has been required for nationals of all non-EU or non-EFTA countries - including Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders. So even if you are living in the EU, if you are a non-EU national and don't have an EU passport you'll need an ETA from January 8th.
The final stage involves EU and EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries - Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican City passengers will require the ETA from April 2nd, 2025. (Travellers can apply from March 5th)
The only exception is people travelling on an Irish passport (because of the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland). Anyone with UK dual-nationality won't need an ETA as long as they use their UK passport to travel.
Non-EU and EU nationals who have a British spouse will still require the ETA.
UK visa-holders or anyone who has residency status in the UK (for example EU nationals who moved before Brexit and have Settled or Pre-Settled Status) are exempt. An ETA is not required if you live in Ireland and you’re travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.
Otherwise everyone needs one - including children or babies or EU nationals who have a British spouse. In the initial version of the law, airline passengers who are simply transiting through the UK did need one - however the UK government has now backtracked in the face of fury from the aviation industry and said that transit passengers do not need one.
The ETA is intended for short visits such as holidays and family stays - it does not allow people to stay in the UK for more than 180 days or to work in the UK.
How can I get one?
You apply online or on the UK ETA app in advance of your trip - the UK government says that applications will normally be processed within three working days, but sometimes this may take longer. You cannot enter the UK until the ETA has been processed.
The ETA costs £10 and lasts for two years - during that time you can make multiple trips to the UK. If your passport is renewed during that time period, you will need to apply for a new ETA.
You cannot make group applications - each person in a group needs their own ETA, but you can make the application for another person.
Find the UK government website HERE.
Emma Pearson
Comments (13)