The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme is being rolled out to travellers from 48 countries from tomorrow (January 8) – including many destinations which do not currently need a visa to visit the UK, such as Australia, Canada and the USA.
Millions of travellers are set to be impacted by the change, with an ETA required even for passengers transiting without crossing the UK border. The change does not apply to British or Irish citizens, including those with dual citizenship, or for those who already have a visa or have permission to live, work or study in the UK.
Comparable to the USA’s ESTA, the ETA is not a visa, and will only be available to travellers from certain destinations. Part of a phased roll-out, ETAs are already available for travellers from the GCC countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The application costs £10, and you should receive a decision on your application within three working days. An ETA is valid for two years, and applicants may visit the UK as many times as they wish within…
