UK Launches ETA for Eligible Non-European Visitors

As of 27 November 2024, the UK has officially opened the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for eligible non-European visitors to apply for this pre-travel permit. The ETA scheme acts as a digital permission to enter the country, for short-term travel. For non-EU visitors who were previously exempt from applying for a visa, the ETA will become a requirement for travel to the UK starting 8 January 2025, with applications now open.

This new phase of the ETA follows the successful rollout of the ETA for GCC nationals early in 2024. The Home Office introduced the ETA as a way to replace the previous visa waiver scheme for the GCC countries, making it easier and quicker to apply. In turn, this reduces strain on border control resources and allows eligible travelers to smoothly transit through or travel to the country. Seema Malhotra, Member of Parliament and Minister for Migration and Citizenship, confirms that after success with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals using the ETA scheme the next phase can now go ahead, stating that “this expansion of ETA is a significant step forward in delivering a border that’s efficient and fit for the digital age.” 

Alongside GCC nations, the list of countries eligible for ETA travel now includes:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Canada
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Hong Kong
• Israel
• Japan
• Kiribati
• Macao
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Nauru
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Palau
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Samoa
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Solomon Islands
• South Korea
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Taiwan
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• United States
• Uruguay

According to the Home Office, travelers from the US, Canada, and Australia alone contributed £8.8 billion to the UK economy in 2023.

For eligible non-EU travelers, applying for an ETA is a simplified process. The entire process is online, with confirmation of successful application being sent via email, and the “digital permission” to travel applied automatically to the traveler’s passport. Once the ETA has been granted, the traveler can journey to the UK (or transit through the UK) multiple times. The ETA lasts for two years or until the passport linked to it expires.

Following this latest phase in the ETA scheme, the UK intends to enable all eligible European travelers to apply for the ETA from 5 March 2025, with the ETA becoming a travel requirement from 2 April 2025. This will conclude the rollout of the ETA, requiring all visitors to the UK to apply unless they’re British or Irish citizens, require a visa, or have UK immigration status.