17 September 2024

In a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules published last week, the Home Office has confirmed key dates for the expansion of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme.

By April 2025, all visitors who do not need a visa will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK.

Announcing the scheme’s expansion, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, said: “Digitisation enables a smooth experience for the millions of people who pass through the border every year, including the visitors we warmly welcome to the UK who are predicted to contribute over £32 billion to our tourism economy this year. The worldwide expansion of the ETA demonstrates our commitment to enhance security through new technology and embedding a modern immigration system.”

Once fully implemented, the ETA scheme will broadly apply to all nationalities who do not require a visa for short stays and who do not have any other UK immigration status prior to travelling to the UK. This includes European nationals.

Key dates

The ETA requirement already applies to nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The key dates for the scheme’s continued rollout are as follows:

• The ETA requirement will apply to all remaining non-European visa-exempt nationalities for travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025. These nationalities will be able to apply for an ETA from 27 November 2024.
• The ETA requirement will apply to all European visa-exempt nationalities for travel to the UK on or after 2 April 2025. These nationalities will be able to apply for an ETA from 5 March 2025.

What is an ETA?

The ETA is part of the UK government’s plans to strengthen and digitise the UK border and immigration system.

An ETA is a digital permission to travel, linked to the individual’s passport. The scheme enables the government to perform robust security checks on travellers before they begin their journey to the UK, helping to prevent abuse of the immigration system.

An ETA costs £10 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to 6 months at a time over 2 years, or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.

The introduction of the ETA scheme is in line with the approach many other countries have taken to border security, including the US and Australia.

Support with UK immigration

Smith Stone Walters is on hand to support your business in preparing for these changes. We recommend employers communicate these new travel requirements to their international business visitors, to ensure they are prepared for needing an ETA before they travel in the future.

For more information and support, please contact us today.

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