UK ETA: First 7 Countries to Benefit Revealed
The UK has announced the first seven countries whose citizens will soon need an ETA—Electronic Travel Authorisation—to visit. Here’s what travelers from these nations should know.
Since Brexit, trip requirements for foreigners heading to the United Kingdom have changed. EU and European Economic Area (EEA) citizens now face customs and passport-control formalities when entering the UK. However, the British government has unveiled a new plan to strengthen its borders while making travel easier.
The new Travel Scheme goes live in January 2024. It will allow visitors from the European Union to enter the UK more smoothly. Travelers will use a mobile app to enter personal and trip details before arrival.
From January 2024 this travel regime will apply to all foreign visitors—including those from the EU—and will operate an electronic travel-authorisation system similar to the US ESTA and Canada’s eTA.
Anyone planning a trip to the UK will need to apply online for an ETA before departure. Applications will ask for basic personal information—name, date of birth, residence address—as well as trip details such as arrival date and planned stay. Travelers will receive an immediate electronic response on approval. The process will also collect biometric data (selfie).
The first travelers to use the UK’s new ETA are citizens of seven Middle Eastern destinations: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. The scheme then expands globally in 2024. Qatari visitors can start applying as early as October 2023, and ETA replaces the current Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) for these travelers.
ETAs become mandatory for visa-exempt short-term visitors—including Europeans—by late 2024. UK and Irish citizens do not need an ETA when travelling to the UK, unlike those transiting through Ireland.
