The United Kingdom (UK) has introduced a new travel requirement, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), effective from November 15, 2023.
This rule applies to all travellers, including children, except British and Irish nationals. To visit the UK, individuals previously eligible for visa-free travel must now obtain an ETA.
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This includes tourists, business travellers, and those visiting family and friends for stays shorter than six months. To acquire an ETA, applicants must apply online before their UK travel plans. Once approved, it’s valid for multiple journeys over two years or until the passport’s expiration date, whichever comes first.
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The statement reads:
“The UK travel requirements are changing. Except for British and Irish citizens, everyone, including children who enter or transit through the UK, will soon require permission before they travel. This means that if you were previously eligible to visit the UK without a visa and not already legally resident in the UK, you will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), your stay must be shorter than six months and could include tourism or visiting family and friends, transit, business, and short term study.”
“You do not need to show a paper copy, but it may be helpful to prove the confirmation email for your own records while an ETA grants you permission to travel to the UK, it does not grant you entry. So, you would still need to go through passport control at the border to enter the UK. Make sure you show the same passport you used to apply for your ETA and that your passport is valid for the whole of your stay.”
