From Wednesday, non-Europeans visiting or transiting through the UK without a visa will need to secure a £10 digital permit as part of an expanded electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system.

Initially rolled out in November 2023, the ETA requirement, which serves as a digital permission to travel, has so far been mandatory for nationals from Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.

The scheme is set to extend to all non-European individuals entering the UK without legal residence rights or a visa from Wednesday, and it will apply to all travellers by April 2. British and Irish citizens remain exempt from this rule.

Applications for an ETA can be made via the UK ETA app or on the gov.uk website, with the ETA being digitally linked to the passport of the traveller. The Home Office champions the ETA system as a means to conduct “more robust security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the UK” before individuals commence their journey to the UK, aiming to thwart “abuse of our immigration system”.

An ETA allows for multiple entries into the UK for up to six months per visit over a two-year period, or until the passport expires if earlier.

Home Office statistics reveal that over 243,000 Gulf nationals received ETAs in the first half of 2024. However, Heathrow airport has attributed a significant drop of 90,000 in transfer passenger numbers on routes affected by the system since its inception to the ETA programme.

The airport has labelled the impact as “devastating for our hub competitiveness” and has called on the Government to “review” the policy, especially concerning airside transit passengers.