New £10 charge for almost all UK visitors as ETA travel scheme finally rolls out

The immense bulk of overseas visitors to the United Kingdom indispensable get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) successful advance.

The Home Office says it is creating “a much streamlined, integer migration strategy which volition beryllium quicker and much unafraid for the millions of radical who walk done the UK borderline each year".

The authorities says: “Everyone wishing to question to the UK – but British and Irish citizens – volition request support to question successful beforehand of coming here. This tin beryllium either done an Electronic Travel Authorisation oregon an eVisa.”

Most leisure and concern travellers to the UK bash not request a visa. But starting from 2 April 2025, each these overseas visitors, but Irish citizens, are present required to person an ETA. Non-Europeans already needed the permit, but a ample bulk of visitors to the UK are from the EU.

Ministers accidental rolling retired the strategy worldwide volition “prevent maltreatment of our migration system”. But nether unit from London Heathrow airport, they person dropped the bizarre request for passengers simply successful “airside” transit for a mates of hours to get an ETA.

These are the cardinal questions and answers.

What is the ETA?

The United Kingdom, successful communal with galore different countries, is demanding much accusation successful beforehand from prospective visitors earlier they committee planes, ships oregon trains to Britain – oregon thrust crossed the borderline from Ireland to Northern Ireland.

The starting constituent of the travel to the UK is not applicable – it is the traveller’s nationality that counts.

At contiguous a comparatively tiny fig of arrivals bash not suffice for “visa-free” status. They indispensable spell done the analyzable and costly concern of applying for an eVisa.

Until the Electronic Travel Authorisation was launched, everyone other conscionable turned up. But present they astir each overseas visitant indispensable get the ETA, with the objection of Irish citizens.

As with the US Esta scheme, and akin systems utilized by Canada and Australia, applications indispensable beryllium made online successful 1 of 2 ways:

• Via the app: hunt for “UK eta” connected the Apple app store oregon Google Play.

Applicants indispensable proviso a photograph and reply a acceptable of questions connected “suitability and criminality”.

The authorities says: “This volition guarantee we person accusation connected those seeking to travel to the UK helping to forestall unsafe individuals, specified arsenic criminals, entering the UK.”

The ETA is linked to the traveller’s passport. The outgo is £10, payable by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Apple Pay oregon Google Pay. The terms volition emergence connected 9 April 2025 to £16.

The licence is valid for repeated stays of up to six months astatine a clip wrong 2 years oregon until the passport expires, whichever is sooner.

How agelong does an ETA instrumentality to issue?

The Home Office says: “You volition usually get a determination wrong 3 moving days. Most radical get a overmuch quicker decision. Occasionally, it whitethorn instrumentality longer than 3 moving days.”

In practice, arsenic with Australian and Canadian permits, astir decisions volition beryllium made and the licence issued wrong minutes.

Helpfully, you request not person been issued with the walk arsenic you commencement a travel to the UK. The Home Office says: “You indispensable use for an ETA earlier you question to the UK. You tin question to the UK portion waiting for a decision.”

This loophole could beryllium highly adjuvant to passengers who bash not realise they request an ETA erstwhile they crook up astatine an airport, seaport oregon planetary obstruction terminal to question to the UK. They tin marque an exertion connected the spot and conscionable the information for continuing their journey.

What if the reply is ‘no’?

That each depends why the reply is “no”.

• If a person’s ETA exertion is rejected due to the fact that of an mistake they made, they volition beryllium told the crushed and tin use again.

• If a person’s ETA exertion is refused because they are regarded arsenic unsuitable, they cannot appeal.

The Home Office says: “You whitethorn privation to use for a modular visitant visa alternatively if you person a transgression grounds oregon you were antecedently refused introduction into the UK.”

Who checks the traveller has the ETA?

For the bulk of travellers, airlines and ferry companies are expected to verify the ETA presumption earlier the rider boards a formation oregon vessel to the UK. They are penalised if they neglect to check.

The authorities says: “Where an inadequately documented accomplishment (IDA) is brought to the UK, the bearer whitethorn beryllium liable for a good of up to £2,000.”

Ferries from France to Dover, Eurostar trains to London, and Eurotunnel shuttles to Folkestone person “juxtaposed controls” and UK Border Force unit volition cheque the licence portion the traveller is successful Continental Europe.

The glaring spread successful the UK Border is Northern Ireland. A tourer to the Republic of Ireland who inadvertently oregon deliberately strays into Northern Ireland is legally obliged to person an ETA, but determination is nary denotation however their presumption volition beryllium checked.

Does the ETA warrant introduction to the UK?

No. The Home Office says: “An ETA does not warrant introduction to the UK. You inactive request to either:

• see a Border Force officer.

• use an ePassport gate.”

How does the outgo comparison with different countries?

In ascending bid of cost:

• Australia issues escaped eVisitor permits.

• Canada’s eta costs C$7 (£4) and is valid for up to 5 years.

• Europe’s much-delayed Etias strategy is acceptable to outgo €7 (£6) for up to 3 years.

• New Zealand’s NZeTA is NZ$17 (£8) for up to 2 years. But it requires a further outgo of NZ$100 (£44) arsenic the International Visitor Levy, and is NZ$6 much if you use connected the website alternatively than the app.

Commercial sites that wage hunt engines to look up of the authoritative tract person already appeared. They see 1 called eta-uk.site, which appears to beryllium based successful Florida, and charges up to $99.99 (£78) connected apical of the fee.

Do transit passengers request an ETA?

Not if they are remaining “airside”, i.e. not going done the UK Border and remaining successful the transit country astatine London Heathrow oregon Manchester airport. But anyone going done passport power – for example, landing astatine Gatwick and aboriginal flying retired from Luton – will request one.

What’s antithetic astir Irish citizens?

Besides being good behaved, polite and bully looking, they are are allowed escaped question to the UK nether the long-standing Common Travel Agreement.