Latest UK ETA News: ETA Scheme Opens to Eligible European Nationals

In the latest UK visa news, the United Kingdom government has announced that eligible European nationals can now apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from 5 March 2025. Anyone seeking to travel to the UK from a European country will require the ETA from 2 April 2025, unless they have immigration status or require a visa for UK travels instead.

Before the ETA scheme was launched, European nationals were allowed to travel to the UK visa-free for short stays. 

The ETA scheme has been introduced in phases, with the early phase, which replaced the UK Electronic Visa Waiver scheme (UK EVW), enabling citizens from Qatar to apply from October 2023, followed by citizens of the Gulf Countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who became eligible to apply from February 2024. The next phase, launched in November 2025, enabled citizens from Canada and the United States to apply for the ETA, among other non-European nationals.

5 March marks the final phase in the ETA scheme, enabling Europeans to apply. To apply for a UK ETA as a European, you must be from one of the approved European countries:

• Andorra
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• San Marino
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Vatican City

The UK ETA online application process requires a valid passport as well as a recent photo of the travellers to verify identity. To get the ETA for UK entry, European nationals must pay the non-refundable UK ETA application fee for each individual traveler, including young children and babies. 

To apply for a UK Electronic Travel Authorization, European travellers can complete and submit the online application for the UK Electronic Travel Authorization. Most applications are accepted, refused or rejected in up to 3 working days. However, in exceptional circumstances it may take longer than 3 working days to process an application.

European nationals can travel to the UK once their application is successful and confirmed via email. If their application is denied for any reason, they may need to reapply or apply for a visa instead.

The UK ETA is applied digitally to passports and is valid for 2 years or until the passport expires (whichever happens first). The ETA enables repeat visits within the period of validity.

Travelers are advised to keep up with the latest Electronic Travel Authorization news, as rules can change on short notice. For example, Jordan was initially included in the early phase of the ETA scheme but was excluded on 10 September 2024.