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The UK Government has provided further details on the rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation ("ETA") scheme, which is similar to the ESTA scheme in the United States and the EU's upcoming ETIAS scheme. The ETA scheme applies to people visiting the UK who do not currently need a visa or hold any other UK immigration status. Individuals who were previously able to travel to the UK without applying for permission in advance will need to obtain an ETA before travelling to the UK, starting from the date when the scheme is rolled out to their nationality.
The ETA scheme is part of the UK Government's broader programme of digitising the UK's border and immigration system. Once the ETA scheme is rolled out, anyone travelling to the UK will need to have permission in advance either through an ETA or a visa. The Government says that the system will also improve security, by ensuring that all travellers to the UK are screened in advance of arrival.
The ETA will be linked to the traveller's passport, will cost £10 and will last for 2 years (or until the traveller's passport expires), allowing multiple journeys to the UK during that time for stays of up to 6 months. Applications can be made online or through an app and will take up to 3 working days in most cases, though occasionally it may take longer.
Currently, the only nationalities who are required to apply for an ETA are nationals of: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. From 8 January 2025, a large number of non-European nationalities will be added to the list, with most European nationalities added from 2 April 2025. Applications for ETAs for these groups will open from 27 November 2024 and 5 March 2025 respectively.
The ETA does not replace the Visitor visa, which will still be required for nationals of countries on the Visa National List. Travellers from these countries will not be required to apply for ETA in addition to the Visitor visa.
Workers on sponsored visa routes, such as Skilled Workers, or who hold another type of visa, or nationals who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or have an Irish passport are not affected and will not be required to obtain an ETA in addition to their visa.
Next steps
UK businesses should consider whether they have any staff or visitors from overseas who may now shortly be required to apply for an ETA in advance of travel to the UK, whereas before there was no such requirement. Any internal processes should also be updated to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made in advance of travel. While businesses familiarise themselves with the process, we recommend that any applications are made several weeks in advance of travel to prevent any issues caused by potential delays to an ETA being granted.
