Extension of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETA)
As of 10 September, the UK Government announced a major step towards delivering its ambitious aim to digitise the UK border and immigration system. By April 2025, all visitors who do not need a visa for short stays up to six months, except British and Irish citizens, will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – a digital permission to travel to the UK.
Those nationalities that ordinarily require a visa to visit the UK will continue to do so and should not obtain an ETA. Those who are exempt from immigration control are not required to obtain an ETA.
Nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries already need an ETA to travel to or transit through the UK. All remaining nationalities will be able to apply for an ETA from later this year through a quick and simple process using the UK ETA app or via the gov.uk webpage.
ETA is extending in two phases:
- Eligible non-Europeans can apply in advance from 27 November 2024 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 8 January 2025.
- Eligible Europeans can apply from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 2 April 2025.
· The full list of nationalities (including countries and associated territories) subject to the requirement to obtain an ETA can be found here.
Information events
The introduction of the UK ETA is a significant change for many travellers who previously did not need to interact with the Home Office prior to travelling.
You can attend ETA Webinar Open Events for travel, tourism, business travellers and education organisations. These provide an opportunity for those with limited knowledge of ETA to hear about how travel to the UK is changing, and to ask questions.
ETA Webinar Open Events - Sept-Dec 2024.docx
