UK: Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) Application

Introduction

In early 2025, the new UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) scheme will be expanded to all EU nationals and other non-EU nationals not requiring a visit visa to enter the UK. Gradually, all non-visa nationals listed here, including all EU nationals, entering the UK on tourist and business visits, for a max of 6 months, will need to obtain “digital” clearance before travelling to the UK. For all other countries where a visit visa for the UK is required, and for Sponsored migrants requiring a valid work permit, the ETA will not be applicable.

Impact:
High

Who is affected?

Nationals from the listed countries below will require an ETA prior to travelling to the UK:

• On or after 15 November 2023 – Qatar (can already apply here) 

• On or after 22 February 2024 – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia (can already apply here)* 

• On or after 8 January 2025 (ETA application will open on 27 November 2024) - Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British National (Overseas)), Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall, Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan (only those who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan), The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States and Uruguay. 

• On or after 2 April 2025 (ETA application process will open on 5 March 2025) – EU nationals: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican City.

*Jordan has been removed from the ETA list – all Jordanian nationals will now need to apply for an Entry Clearance visa before traveling to the UK

Sponsored migrants coming to the UK with a valid work permit are not affected by the implementation of the ETA scheme.

How to apply for the UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) Application

From 27^th Nov 2024 the relevant non-EU nationals will be able to apply for an ETA before travelling to the UK. From 8 January 2025 these nationals will need to have obtained an ETA before travelling to the UK. The application must be submitted via ETA app or via an online form (here)

When applying for an ETA, individuals must pay an application fee of £10 providing contact and passport details, a valid passport photo and answer a set of short questions about their UK trip.

The ETA will be valid for 2 years and will allow for multiple trips to the UK.

ETA applications can take up to 3 working days to be processed, therefore individuals and businesses will need to account for this additional step.

What has changed?

Individuals from the above listed countries, coming to the UK for business visits will still need to comply with the business visits rules (not allowed to work); if requested, they must show proof of invitation / business activities during their time in the UK and the intention to leave the UK at the end of their business visit.

New grounds for refusal will also apply for the new ETA applicants:

• Individuals who have been previously refused a Visitor visa or permission to enter the UK, will also be refused the new ETA.
• If the individual’s ETA was cancelled, the new ETA will be refused. This ensures that once the ETA has been cancelled, the applicant must apply for a visa to go through extra checks before allowing re-entry. 

Businesses and employers will need to track the validity of their employees’ s ETA.

What to expect /impact?

By requiring non-visa nationals and all EU nationals to obtain an ETA before travelling, the UK government aims to strengthen immigration control and screening travelers for potential risks before they reach the UK.

The ETA is also part of a broader effort to make the UK’s immigration system fully digitalized by 2025.

As with any fully electronic scheme, there is always a risk for incorrect decision leading to refusals, which will be more difficult to rectify, in particular for those individuals with complex circumstances.

What you need to do: 

Sterling Lexicon is constantly monitoring any new developments and will contact you with a new alert for related developments.

For further information on changes to visa system and work routes, please contact the Sterling Lexicon immigration team at immigration@sterlinglexicon.com