Visitors to the UK: Electronic Travel Authorisation required soon

The UK Government is continuing to roll out the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme.  If you usually travel to the UK without applying for a visitor visa, you will soon need to obtain travel permission before visiting or transiting through the UK. This is similar to the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) scheme. 

Do you need to get an ETA?

If you are travelling on a passport which is on the visa national list, you must continue to apply for a visa before you travel to the UK. You do not need an ETA. 

If you are not travelling on a passport on that list, you are a “non-visa national” so you will be required to apply for an ETA before you enter the UK. This includes children of all ages. 

You do not need an ETA if:

• you have a UK visa;
• you have permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme);
• you are a British or Irish citizen;
• you are travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport; or
• you live in Ireland and you are travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.

When will you need the ETA?

The ETA will be rolled out in phases.

• Phase 1: as of now, the ETA scheme is applicable to nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Phase 2: the following countries can apply for an ETA now for travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025.

All non-EU/EEA countries

• Phase 3: the following countries can start to apply for an ETA from 6 March 2025 for travel to the UK on or after 2 April 2025.

All EU/EEA countries (not Ireland*) and Switzerland

*Irish citizens continue to have an unrestricted right to enter the UK (for any purpose).

What you can do with an ETA

Even though you hold the ETA, you are still a visitor so there are restrictions about what you can do in the UK.

This means you can come to the UK for up to six months for tourism, to visit family and friends, for business purposes or for short-term study, as well as transiting through the UK (if you will be going through border control, also known as “landside” transit). For some purposes however you may only be allowed to stay for less than six months, such as coming for a permitted paid engagement.

You cannot:

• do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you’re doing a permitted paid engagement or event;
• claim public funds (benefits);
• live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits; or
• marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership (you will need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa in advance of travel).

For entry, you must also be prepared to show that:

• you will leave the UK at the end of your visit;
• you are able to support yourself and your dependants during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you);
• you are able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else to pay for the journey); and
• you will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home.

How to apply for the ETA

To apply, you can download the UK ETA app from the App Store or the Google Play Store. You will verify your identity using your passport, complete a short form, and pay a small application fee.

You should get a decision within three working days, but it may take longer. If you need to travel urgently, you can travel to the UK while awaiting a decision, but you must have applied before travel.

The ETA will be valid for two years, or until your passport expires if earlier. If you renew your passport, you will need to re-apply for the ETA.

On the ETA form, you need to declare information to confirm your eligibility (similar to the US ESTA scheme), which will include questions about arrests, cautions or convictions, and any previous breaches of UK immigration laws (such as overstaying a visa or working outside your visa conditions).

If you have previously received a conviction, you may be denied your ETA, depending on when this happened and what sentence you were given. Please contact your usual Macfarlanes immigration contact so we can advise further.