UK Electronic Travel Authorisation Now Required for Non-European Visitors

Applications for non-Europeans have been open since 27 November 2024. The Home Office said around 6 million visitors a year come to the UK from the US, Canada and Australia alone, and that more than 243,000 Gulf nationals were issued ETAs in the first half of 2024 under the earlier phases of the scheme.

How the ETA works

The government describes the ETA as a digital permission to travel rather than a visa. It is linked digitally to the traveller's passport, costs £10 and lasts for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner. It allows multiple journeys to the UK, with stays of up to six months at a time. Applications are made through the UK ETA app, where most applicants receive a decision within hours, or on GOV.UK for those without a smartphone.

The legal framework sits in the Immigration Rules Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation, which sets the validity, suitability and decision rules. British and Irish citizens do not need advance permission, and people who already hold a visa or UK immigration status fall outside the requirement.

Who is affected

Business visitors are squarely in scope. Executives, consultants and conference delegates from visa-free countries who previously arrived with only a passport now need an approved UK Electronic Travel Authorisation before boarding. Employers that host overseas colleagues, clients or contractors for meetings, events or short assignments should build the ETA into travel bookings and check that permitted visitor activities still match the purpose of each trip.

What happens next

The scheme widens again in the spring. Eligible European nationals will be able to apply from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel from 2 April 2025. The Home Office links the ETA to a wider plan for a digitised border with light-touch screening before arrival, alongside the replacement of physical immigration documents with eVisas.

Sources

• GOV.UK: UK opens pre-travel requirement to non-Europeans
• GOV.UK: Immigration Rules Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation