Wednesday 27 November 2024

The Home Office is extending its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. As with the US’s ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) scheme and comparable schemes in other countries, under the ETA scheme certain visitors to the UK are required to apply for advance travel permission before travelling to the UK.

Previously, only nationals of Gulf countries were required to obtain an ETA prior to travelling to the UK. From today, 27 November 2024, the ETA application process has been opened to a wide range of nationalities across the Americas, Asia and Oceania (including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea – a full list of the relevant nationalities can be found on the gov.uk website here). ETAs will be required for nationals of these countries from 8 January 2025 to visit the UK.

From 5 March 2025, the ETA scheme will be opened to nationals of EU/EEA countries plus Switzerland, for UK travel from 2 April 2025.If you are an individual with a relevant nationality, or a company whose employees visit the UK for business, it will be necessary to plan ahead to avoid travel delays once the ETA scheme is fully in place.

Who does not need an ETA?

An ETA is not required for British or Irish citizens, individuals who already hold UK immigration permission (including settlement/indefinite leave to remain), or individuals who normally need to apply for visitor visas to enter the UK (a list of such nationalities is available here). There is also an exemption for those who would normally need an ETA but who are legally resident in Ireland, and are travelling to the UK from Ireland or somewhere else in the Common Travel Area (such as the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands).

Application procedure

To obtain an ETA, applicants will need to submit basic personal information (for example passport details and travel plans) online or through a mobile app. They will also answer questions related to security, criminal records and employment, submit a photo/scan of their face and passport, and pay a £10 application fee. The application process can be commenced by visiting the relevant gov.uk page here.

Once the ETA application has been submitted, applicants should receive a decision within three working days, although this processing time may vary. If the application is approved, the ETA will be valid for two years and will permit multiple journeys.

Implementation period

An application for an ETA needs to be made prior to travel to the UK.  During the current implementation period however, the requirement to have an ETA in place is slightly relaxed and it should be possible to travel to the UK with a pending ETA application. If a traveller does not have an ETA when attempting to travel, they should be requested to make an ETA application by the carrier/airline prior to boarding. Depending on the carrier/airline, there is a risk however that individuals who do not have an ETA may be refused boarding – it is therefore advisable for those who require ETAs to secure them before travelling if at all possible during this implementation phase.

Assistance
If you require further advice on these changes or require any assistance relating to ETAs please contact your assigned LDI lawyer or our Enquiries team at enquiries@lauradevine.com.