Visitors from the E.U. and the U.S. to the U.K. will need pre-authorization by 2025

March 10, 2023: The U.K. will require all visa-exempt visitors to apply for digital travel authorization before coming into the country, regarded as the biggest shake-up of its border force rules in ten years.

People having passports that nowadays come into the country without pre-vetting, including European Union residents and U.S., Canadian, Japanese, Australian, New Zealand and different nationals, will all need to apply and pay for Electronic Travel Authorisation by 2024.

British and Irish nationals and people with U.K.-settled positions will be exempt from the scheme.

The administration stated that the scheme would strengthen border security and is in comparison to that used by countries like the U.S. and Canada. The U.K. has previously said that it only has partially accurate data on the number of people who come and leave the country under current rules.

The cost of the ETA has yet to be confirmed, but it is anticipated to be in a similar range to those schemes. The U.S. Electronic idea for Travel Authorization costs $21.

The European Union will launch its digital travel authorization scheme, ETIAS, for visa-exempt nationals in 2024. It will enable travel within 30 countries.

Travellers from some countries are ready to get smoother access to the U.K. The scheme launched for Qatari citizens in November, replacing the Electronic Visa Waiver Scheme and expanding to Jordanian citizens in 2024.

Therefore, it will mark a significant change for frequent travellers from Europe and elsewhere who currently need something other than pre-approval.

Applications will be made online or through an app. Those with biometric passports will scan them with their phone and may also require to take a “dynamic selfie,” which involves movement, to submit an image of their face. They will also answer a set of questions.

Their application will be automatically processed, with a decision given within three days. Applications will be processed more quickly. The ETA will be valid for multiple visits over two years