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Europe’s Citizens Will Need a Travel Authorisation to Enter the UK

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To travel to the United Kingdom, nationals of member states of the European Union will need to apply online for a travel authorization in order to do so by 2024. Only Irish passport holders will be exempt.

The UK government has been looking for ways to strengthen its borders and security since the 2016 divorce from the EU, which was completed in 2020. SchengenVisaInfo.com reports that the UK's current plan is to introduce the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

The Nationality and Borders Bill introduced the ETA for passengers visiting the UK and those transiting through the country. They do not require a visa to enter the country for short stays. The ETA will also be mandatory for anyone who does not have an immigration status before they travel.

The scheme will allow the UK to have more control over its borders, allowing us block threats to enter the UK while also providing individuals and carriers with more assurance at a earlier stage in time about their ability travel to the UK," the UK Home Office stated in a policy paper on the ETA.

Although it is not yet known what the cost of obtaining a UK ETA for travellers, it will certainly be cheaper than obtaining a UK Visa. According to the Home Office, there will be almost 30 million applications processed annually through the ETA system.

The application procedures and details of the system are still being developed, but they will be revealed in the future.

The following countries do not require a visa to enter the UK. They will need to apply for an ETA before the end of 2024.

  • EU/EFTA Member States
  • Andorra
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Costa Rica
  • Dominica
  • Timor-Leste
  • El Salvador
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Kiribati
  • Macau
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Monaco
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Palau
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Seychelles
  • Singapore
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tuvalu
  • United States
  • Uruguay
  • Vanuatu
  • Vatican City

Many other countries around the world have similar systems, including the United States, which has the Electronic System Travel Authorisation, (ESTA), along with Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

On the other hand, the EU will launch its travel authorization system, the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), in 2024. This was originally scheduled to launch in November 2023. However, due to delays on another system vital to the ETIAS' functionalization, it has been delayed to 2024.

 


Source: schengenvisainfo.com

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