New travel rules for the UK
Europeans will be obliged to have a travel permit to go to the United Kingdom starting Wednesday, April 2, a process that can be done online by paying a sum of 12 euros to be increased to 19 euros, AFP reports.
This electronic travel authorization (ETA), necessary before departure and valid two years, can be obtained from the « UK ETA » application or from the British Government website, GOV.uk.
The authorization was already mandatory for visitors from outside the EU exempted from the visa to enter the United Kingdom.
Similar to ESTA for the United States, ETA aims to strengthen border security, according to the British government.
On Wednesday, citizens from about thirty European countries – including everyone in the European Union (EU), except Ireland – will have to have this travel permit for the United Kingdom, the country that left the EU in 2020.
It costs 10 pounds (about 12 euros), a price that will increase to 16 pounds (about 19 euros) of April 9.
The applicant must present a photo of the passport and a photo with his face. The process takes less than ten minutes, and the travel authorization, digitally related to the passport, is usually granted in a few moments, according to the British Ministry of Interior.
However, the government recommends a three -working term for a response, in some rare cases there is the need for additional verification.
ETA allows staying in the United Kingdom for up to six months. It allows unlimited travel for two years, but the demand must be renewed in case of passport change.
In January, it became mandatory for citizens in about 50 countries and territories, including the United States, Canada and Australia. The system was launched in 2023, initially for Qatar citizens, before being extended to other bay countries.
It is also necessary for children and babies.
About 1.1 million ETA were issued by the end of 2024, according to the British Ministry of Interior.
However, students under the age of 18 come from France on a school trip are exempted from this travel permit, as well as the owners of a British or Irish passport and people with residence in the United Kingdom.
Passengers transiting the United Kingdom by air without passing through the border controls in the United Kingdom – as possible at the Heathrow and Manchester airports in London – are also exempt from this authorization.
But those who transit through most other airports in the country, where they have to go through landing security checks, will need ETA.
The British government explained this measure by the need to « secure the borders » and « digitize the immigration system ».
« The expansion of the world level confirms our commitment to strengthen security through technology and innovation, » said the Secretary of State for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, on March 5, when ETA applications were opened to Europeans.
