The UK government has announced that all non-visa travellers will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the country from April 2, 2025. This scheme will roll out in phases and will start with non-European nationals in early 2025. Read on to know more about this and how it will affect Indian travellers.
UK’s New ETA System: What It Is & How Will It Affect Indian Travellers?
The UK has decided to introduce an ETA system for non-visa travellers. The scheme will start on April 2, 2025, and will operate on similar lines to the ESTA system in the United States. This overhaul in the non-visa entry requirement has been announced in a bid to enhance border security in the UK.
As per The Economic Times report, the UK’s Home Office in a statement said that anyone, except British and Irish citizens, will “need permission to travel in advance” to come to the country. ETA is a travel permit that gets digitally linked to the traveller’s passport. This is essentially for people entering or transiting the UK without a visa or legal residence rights.
The cost for the UK’s ETA will be £10 (approx ₹1,101). It will allow travellers “multiple entries into the UK for up to six months at a time over a two-year period. The application process for this is available through the UK ETA app and website and its eligibility depends on nationality.
Now, will this UK ETA affect Indian travellers? Well, not really. Indian travellers will have to follow the existing visa processes to enter the UK as this policy is strictly for non-visa travellers. They will have to follow the usual visa process to get entry to the UK.
Exemption, Restrictions & All You Need To Know
As we mentioned before, all UK and Irish passport holders will be exempted from the ETA requirement. This scheme also exempts passport holders from British Overseas Territories. Furthermore, travellers who possess a visa or have permission to live, work, or study in the UK will not have to apply for an ETA.
Now, who can apply for ETA in the UK? Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE can apply for this scheme. It is to be noted that children and babies from these countries also need an ETA. Also from January 8, 2025, all non-European nationalities will need an ETA to enter the UK. The applications for the same will open from November 27, 2024. Then by April 2, 2025, all European citizens will need an ETA to enter the UK. The applications for them will be available from March 5, 2025.
As for restrictions on ETA, visitors will not be allowed to get married, claim benefits, reside in the UK through frequent visits, or take up self-employed work.
We hope this information was helpful to you all!
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