Do you now need ETA to travel to the UK?!

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Do you now need ETA – Electronic Travel Authorisation – to travel to the UK?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2024-09-12
Originally posted @ 2023-09-02

 

Claim : You now need ETA to travel to the UK!

A video clip called New UK travel requirements has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media. It warns that people who travel to the UK on or after 15 November 2023, must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

This has led some people who already booked their flights to the UK to panic, as they were not aware of such requirements.

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Truth : UK is rolling out ETA over time

Here is what you need to know about the UK ETA programme, and what countries are affected.

UK ETA video is genuine

First, I would like to point out that the video is genuine, and was originally posted by the UK Home Office on 9 March 2023.

It appears to have been edited and shared by Homely Stay UK on WhatsApp and social media, where it was shared without context, leading to mass panic.

UK will soon require ETA for non-visa travellers

The warning is, of course, true – the United Kingdom will soon require non-visa travellers to apply and pay for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

The ETA scheme is part of the UK’s plan to fully digitise its borders by 2025. But note that the ETA only applies to travellers who currently do NOT require a visa to travel to the UK.

An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will soon be a requirement for people who do not need a visa to come to the UK. It will give you permission to travel to the UK, and it will be electronically linked to your passport.

You’ll need an ETA to:

  • come to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or study
  • come to the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession
  • transit through the UK – including if you’re not going through UK border control

Once it is fully implemented, these travellers will not require an ETA to travel to the UK:

  • a British or Irish passport
  • permission to live, work, or study in the UK
  • a visa to enter the UK

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Do You Now Need An ETA To Travel To UK?!

Only Qatar was affected in November 2023

What the video does not reveal is that only travellers from Qatar must have an ETA to travel to the UK from 15 November 2023 onwards.

No other country is affected by this 15 November 2023 deadline, only Qatar. So stop panicking!

If you’re from another country : You do not need to apply for an ETA now. More nationalities will be added to the scheme later.

Even if you are a resident of Qatar, there is no need to panic – you can only apply for an ETA from 25 October 2023 onwards.

UK will roll-out ETA through 2024-2025

The United Kingdom will slowly roll out its ETA programme throughout 2024-2025.

From 22 February 2024 onwards, travellers from these six countries in the Middle East will need an ETA to travel to the UK:

  • Bahrain
  • Jordan
  • Kuwait
  • Oman
  • Saudi Arabia
  • United Arab Emirates

Even travellers from these countries do not need to apply until 1 February 2024 onwards.

All non-visa travellers from all other countries will need an ETA by 2025. On 10 September 2024, the UK government finally revealed its schedule for 83 new countries to apply for ETA in 2025.

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Do You Now Need An ETA To Travel To UK?!

How much does UK ETA cost?

Each traveller will require his or her own ETA, including children and babies. Each ETA will cost £10 per applicant.

How long does each ETA last?

Your ETA will last for 2 years, and can use it to make multiple visits to the UK. However, you should know that having an ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK.

In addition, the ETA is not transferrable to a new / renewed passport. If your passport expires in less than 2 years, you will need to get a new ETA for your new / renewed passport.

How to apply for UK ETA?

You can apply for your UK ETA through the UK government ETA application portal, or using the UK ETA mobile app which you can download from the App Store and Google Play Store.

You will need to take and upload a photo of the passport you will use to travel to the UK, and scan your face. You will also need to take and upload a photo of yourself, and answer some questions.

You will then have to pay for your UK ETA application using a credit card, a debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

Please note that you will need to complete your UK ETA application within 20 minutes, or it will time out and you will need to start the whole process over again.

You will usually get a decision within 3 working days, but there may be delays if the UK government needs to make further checks

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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