From the 8th January 2025 all non-Europeans planning to enter the UK without a visa will require an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to enter the UK. This new entry requirement will then apply to Europeans entering the UK from the 2nd April 2025. This applies to everyone travelling including children and babies. British and Irish citizens are not affected by this.
If you are planning on visiting the UK in 2025 please make sure you have an ETA before you travel!
The ETA costs £10 and lasts for either 2 years or until your passport expires (whichever is shorter). During that time the ETA permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to 6 months each e.g. if you get an ETA for a trip to England in the summer of 2025 it will still be valid for another trip to the UK in the summer of 2027.
You do not need to know your travel plans when you apply for the ETA. The ETA can be obtained online or via an App. It should take up to 3 working days to receive the ETA (but could take longer so don't leave it until the last minute!) Please visit the UK Government website for more information here.
Non-Europeans can apply for their ETA from the 27th November 2024. Europeans can apply for their ETA from the 5th March 2025.
This new entry requirement mirrors similar approaches that many other countries have been using or are planning on introducing e.g. the ESTA required for UK citizens entering the US and the new ETIAS required for some non-EU citizens entering European countries from the summer of 2025.
Happy travels!
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