All visa-exempt passengers travelling to the UK will have to pay a £10 charge and wait up to three days for a permit from next year, as the government significantly expands the scope of a new scheme.
It was announced on Tuesday that the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) would be opened up to nearly all other countries, having initially been rolled out for several Middle Eastern countries in November by the previous government.
Much like the US’s ESTA system, the ETA will be digitally linked up to the traveller’s passport. It will allow multiple journeys to the UK for up to six months at a time over a two year span or until the passport in question expires – whichever comes first.
The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, stressed that the ETA will be applicable to all nationals apart from EU citizens from 8 January 2025, whilst European nationals will be required to pay from 2 April 2025.
She also announced that from next Tuesday, Jordanians may no longer enter the UK with an ETA due to breaches of visitor rules and “high rates of refusals at the border due to people travelling without the intention of visiting for a permitted purpose”. However, those who have already paid their ETA’s for upcoming travel have been given a month-long grace period.
The government has argued that the ETA will drastically improve border security by facilitating, as Cooper argued, “a comprehensive understanding of those travelling to the UK”. She continues by reassuring that this decision will prevent the abuse of our immigration system, as “closing the gap in advance permissions”.
Heathrow airport, the UK’s transit hub which facilitates 30 per cent of connecting traffic, will now be placed at a disadvantage. It therefore remains a controversial requirement, pushing potential travellers to travel through airports which offer free transit outside of the UK instead.
You can apply or find information about ETA eligibility on the UK ETA app or on the website.