The important new travel rule you need to know if you're travelling to the UK from this week

Listen up! From this week, travellers from 48 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, will need to pay and get permission before they can hop on a plane to the UK. More specifically, they’ll need something called an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).

Eventually, ETA rules will be applied to all travellers entering the UK. Initially, however, it’ll be implemented for non-European visitors from around 40 countries.

RIP to the days of smug, application-free travel. Here’s all the info you need if you plan on visiting England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland this year and onwards.

What is an ETA?

The Home Office describe the ETA as ‘digital permission to travel’. Anyone from countries that don’t need a visa to come to the UK will need one of these instead.

It’s not quite the same as a visa. Rather, it’s a security clearance done in advance of travel (but those who already require a visa won’t need an ETA on top). If you’re familiar with the United States’ ESTA, this is the UK’s equivalent. It replaces the electronic visa waiver that travellers needed before.

Once you secure an ETA, it’ll allow you multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years or until your passport expires (whichever comes first).

When do you need an ETA to travel to the UK?

Eligible non-Europeans won’t be able to travel to Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland without an ESTA from tomorrow (January 8). Eligible European passport holders will be able to apply for theirs from March 5 and will need one from April 2 if they want to travel here.

The ETA was rolled out for travellers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates back in November 2023.

How do you apply for an ETA?

The application process looks simple enough. Like the US’s ESTA, there’s an ETA app that’ll let you apply in around 10 minutes or you can do it directly online. You’ll need to have your passport to hand as well as access to your email and a payment method.

Once that’s all sorted, you’ll be required to upload a photo of your passport, a photo of yourself and answer a set of questions about your travel plans. You then have to pay a non-refundable fee of £10.

Make sure you submit your application in good time ahead of your trip. A decision will normally be sent to your email within three working days.

Who needs an ETA to travel to the UK?

The following nationalities will need an ETA to travel to the UK from January 8. An additional 34 European countries will be added to the list in a few months time. It applies to anyone coming here for tourism, business or study purposes for any period of time up to six months, including those who are just getting connecting flights.

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Australia

The Bahamas

Barbados

Bahrain

Belize

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei

Canada

Chile

Costa Rica

Grenada

Guatemala

Guyana

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)

Israel

Japan

Kuwait

Kiribati

Macao Special Administrative Region

Malaysia

Maldives

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

Mexico

Federated States of Micronesia

Nauru

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Oman

Palau

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Qatar

Samoa

Saudi Arabia

Seychelles

Singapore

Solomon Islands

South Korea

St Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Taiwan (if you have a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)