European nationals will be able to apply for a digital travel permit to enter the UK starting on Wednesday, marking a significant step in Britain’s efforts to digitise its border control system.
The new Electronic Travel Authorisation , ETA scheme, similar to the U.S. ESTA system, will become mandatory for European visitors from April 2025.
This follows its earlier implementation for US, Canadian, and other visa-exempt nationals in January.
European citizens can apply for the pre-travel pass, required for short visits to Britain, which left the European Union in 2020.
The ETA system will be fully enforced from April 2, 2025, completing the UK’s phased rollout of digital travel checks.
The initiative, which first launched in 2023 for Qatar and five Gulf nations, was expanded in January to include nationals from around 50 countries, such as Argentina, South Korea, and New Zealand.
By the end of 2024, almost 1.1 million visitors had been granted ETAs, according to the UK Home Office.
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Currently, the ETA application costs £10 (approximately €12 or $12.70) but will rise to £16 in the near future.
The permit allows stays of up to six months and is valid for two years. Applicants can submit their details via a smartphone app or the UK government website, with most applications processed automatically within minutes.
The process involves submitting biographical and biometric information, as well as answering a few background questions. If approved, the ETA is digitally linked to the applicant’s passport.
“By digitising the immigration system, we are paving the way for a contactless UK border,” said Migration Minister Seema Malhotra. “Expanding ETA worldwide demonstrates our commitment to enhancing security through technology and innovation.”
Flight passengers who remain airside without entering the UK border are exempt from the ETA requirement, a concession made after pressure from Heathrow Airport, which feared losing passenger traffic. In 2024, nearly 84 million passengers passed through Heathrow, a third of them from the EU.
Airports like Gatwick and Stansted will still require visitors to obtain an ETA, as they mandate border security checks upon arrival.
The ETA system mirrors the European Union’s delayed ETIAS program, which is set to apply to 30 visa-exempt countries, including France and Germany, but will not launch until at least the second half of 2025.
Reported by Vanguard
