Europeans visiting the UK will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from 2 April 2025. The travel permit has to be requested before departure and applications can be submitted from 5 March on the UK ETA app or on the government website.

The ETA has been gradually introduced since October 2023 and almost 1.1 million people were issued one up to December 2024, the Home Office said. Europeans are the last group of non-visa nationals required to apply as part of the government’s plan to digitise the border.

Here are the details on how the system works.

What is the European Travel Authorisation?

The ETA is a digital permission to travel which is necessary to enter the UK, but it is not a visa. Similar schemes exist in other countries, such as the US, Canada and Australia, and the EU is planning to lunch its own for the Schengen area.

Who needs an ETA?

The ETA applies to people from visa-free countries travelling to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, to visit family and friends, for business or short-term study.

It is also needed for people travelling to the UK for up to 3 months on the creative worker visa concession or for a permitted paid engagement.

In addition, it is required for transiting through the UK to reach another destination, except if passengers remain in the airport’s transit area without going through border control.

Who is exempt?

British and Irish citizens, holders of a British Overseas Territories passport, holders of a visa and anyone with permission to live, work or study in the UK, including EU citizens with settled or pre-settled status, do not need an ETA.

Also temporarily exempted are transit passengers travelling to another destination via the UK without crossing the border. This is currently possible only at London Heathrow and Manchester airports.

Students up to 18 years travelling to the UK as part of a French school trip will not need to apply either.

Europeans who live in Ireland and travel to the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man (the Common Travel Area) will also be exempt, “provided they hold acceptable evidence of their residence status”.

How to apply for an ETA?

The easiest way to apply is through the UK ETA app, available in English. People without a smartphone can apply on the UK government website. All the information is available here.

Each traveller will have to apply individually, even children, as group applications are not possible. Applicants will need to pay a fee, provide contact and passport details, a photo, and answer some questions.

How much does an ETA cost?

At the time of writing, the ETA costs £10 but the parliament recently agreed to increase the fee to £16. The increase is expected to become effective within weeks. If travel details are set, applications can be submitted immediately to avoid the hike.

How long does it take to get an ETA?

For most people it takes less than 10 minutes to apply on the app and the decision arrives within minutes. However, the government recommends to leave at least three working days before departure to allow “for the small number of cases that require additional review”.

As the majority of people receive a decision automatically in a short time, last-minute trips should still be possible.

How long is the ETA valid for?

The ETA is valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner. As the ETA is linked to the passport, if the traveller gets a new passport a new ETA is needed.

Over the two-year period, the ETA allows multiple visits of up to six months to the UK.

What happens if the application is refused?

If an application is refused, the traveller will have to apply for a visa. There is no right of appeal.

What happens to people arriving in the UK without an ETA?

It is the carriers (airlines, ferries and train operators) that require passengers to show the ETA before boarding. If people arrive at departure gates without an ETA, they may still be able to apply for one on the spot, but the immediate response is not guaranteed.

Given the number of Europeans travelling to the UK each year, the Home Office plans a ‘soft launch’. If the application is not resolved before departure, the carrier may still decide to board the passenger and if the ETA is not received before reaching the border, the guards may apply some discretion. But moving forward the Home Office aims for rigorous enforcement and people without an ETA may be turned away by the carrier or refused entry at the border.

What changes for EU citizens in the UK with post-Brexit status?

EU citizens with post-Brexit rights in the UK have to travel with the document linked to their settled or pre-settled status, or they might have to prove to the carrier that they have residence rights. This can be done with the ‘view and prove’ system accessible through the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account, which allows individuals to view their status and share it with others using a time-limited code.

Family members of EU citizens will also need an ETA for short-term visits if they do not have and do not seek settled status. Up to now, family members of EU citizens with post-Brexit rights could arrive in the UK as tourists and apply for pre-settled status. This is unlikely to work in the future as the ETA implies that the purpose of the travel is a short-term visit.

Will the ETA impact tourism?

According to the Office for National Statistics, 7 of the 10 countries whose residents visited the UK the most frequently in 2023 were EU countries. The UK received 3.1 million visitors from France, 2.9 from Germany, 2.2 from Spain, 1.9 from the Netherlands, 1.7 from Italy, and 1.6 from Poland.

VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, estimates that the ETA could have a “small negative impact” for visits from Europe “as the proportion of trip spend would be larger, and the non-financial impact could be greater in markets where, on average, perceptions of welcome are lower, and other requirements (e.g. passports) recently tightened.”

Since 2021, EU visitors need a passport to enter the UK, while in the past a national identity card was sufficient.

What do dual UK-EU citizens have to do?

Dual UK-EU citizens will have to travel with their UK passport to be exempt from the ETA. When the EU will introduce its European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), dual nationals will have to travel with both passports to avoid the travel authorisation on either side.

Claudia Delpero, Europe Street News © all rights reserved

Image by Wael from Pixabay