Electronic Travel Authorisation if coming in to the UK

[whole diary]

[grahame]

For visitors to the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) from other countries - sharing this for Coffee Shop members as it's rather the opposite information to what we normally see, which relates to what we need to visit the continent rather than what people from the continent and further afield need to visit us.

We can’t wait to welcome you on board for your holiday. To help you prepare, we wanted to let you know about an imminent change to UK travel requirements that will impact EU^» (European Union - about) and non-EU citizens.

Please note, these changes don’t affect British or Irish citizens travelling on a British or Irish passport. If you’re a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you won’t need an ETA for your holiday if you travel to the UK on a British or Irish passport, or a passport containing an eligible certificate of entitlement. 
 
If you don’t have a British or Irish passport:

>From 2025, you may need to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before you travel so you can visit or transit through the UK. 

These new rules apply to both EU and non-EU citizens, including babies and children aged under 18, who don’t need a visa for short stays or don’t have UK immigration status, from the following dates:

Non-EU nationals

ETA applications for eligible non-EU nationals are now open. ETAs for non-EU nationals are required for travel to the UK from 8 January 2025. 
 
Nationals from Gulf Cooperation Council countries 

It’s already a requirement for nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries to have an ETA to travel to the UK.
 
EU nationals
 
ETA applications for eligible EU nationals can be submitted from 5 March 2025. ETAs for EU nationals will be needed for travel to the UK from 2 April 2025.


For more information on obtaining an ETA for your holiday, visit the official UK government website or watch this video about ETA applications. We recommend familiarising yourself with this information to ensure you have all the correct paperwork needed for your holiday.

Please note that an ETA is not a visa and it doesn’t guarantee entry into the UK – instead it authorises an individual to travel to the UK. If you don’t obtain an ETA for your holiday, you may be denied entry to the UK or boarding at the cruise terminal at your own expense. Your ETA will be checked, so you’ll need to present evidence such as a screenshot or a printout of your ETA when asked.

All information in this email reflects UK government guidance in place on 27 November 2024. Please check the UK government website for the most up-to-date information before you travel. 

As even, rules is complex so check things out for your own needs.  And this email quoted is from a cruise company - but Eurostar, le Shuttle, ferries and airports will be the same.

[ChrisB]

There will be an app that can be used to apply from & store the ETA in. Apparently very simple to upload ID & make payment of £10. It's valid, I think, for 3 years for many visits of up to 6 months each.

[Ralph Ayres]

As someone who rarely bothers with this foreign travel malarkey (and yes, I know it doesn't apply to me anyway as a UK^▸ (United Kingdom) citizen), I find it odd that modern smart electronic passports don't already hold all the relevant information.  It would perhaps make more sense if you had to log your intended travel mode and UK arrival and departure place/date for a specific visit, but without that it just seems like pointless bureaucracy.

[Oxonhutch]

I have a feeling that this is straightforward reciprocity to the EU^» (European Union - about) ESTA now applying to us. Just another Brexit benefit.

[ChrisB]

And the USA equivalent of many years standing