New ETA Requirement for all UK Visitors

Thank you for the information.

Thanks for this helpful information Stuart.

At least I can go back to London one more time for my birthday (Jan. 7) without the ETA ! Haha

Thank you! Very useful information.

We’ll be visiting the UK in the of summer 2025 so thanks for this information with links. I put a reminder on our calendar to apply 2 weeks in advance.

Good to know, Stuart - thank you! I have an overnight layover next spring, so that is one more item to put on my to-do list.

We will be there from Jan 2 to Jan 12, so since we will still be in England on and after Jan 8 i am guessing we will need to get the new ETA. Thank you for the head's up! I had researched this a few weeks ago and at that time it didn't look like we would need one.

I had researched this a few weeks ago and at that time it didn't look like we would need one.

It really didn't. This was meant to be a slow roll out for a few 'at risk' countries. The announcement of it having global effect was a total surprise announcement by the new government.

We will be there from Jan 2 to Jan 12, so since we will still be in England on and after Jan 8 i am guessing we will need to get the new ETA. Thank you for the head's up! I had researched this a few weeks ago and at that time it didn't look like we would need one.

Technically. no, since your entry is before January 8. You could still do it, it is good for 2 years, but not a requirement. The ETA is information provided for entry.

The announcement of it having global effect was a total surprise announcement by the new government.

Thanks for this key piece of information too!

ETA was originally expected to be rolled out to all other countries at some time in the present year, so the implementation is if anything a little late but not by much to matter. There weren't any prior details of how this rolling out was to be done though & this represents two big steps rather than a slow build-up.

There is an app called UK ETA where you can apply. According to the ETA website, it is the fastest way to apply.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uk-eta/id6444912481
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.gov.HomeOffice.ho3

Or it will be from 27 November.

Until then it is only open to passport holders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Jordanians have now been removed from the ETA scheme and have to apply for Visas, presumably due to the ongoing Palestine conflict.

That's right, Nick, The last group, who will need to register in March, are EU nationals and those from non-EU countries that are in Europe. (And don't necessarily need a visa.)

Thank you! I’m going to England (and Ireland) next June.

So this would apply to people who only have a connection at Heathrow on their way back to the states from anywhere? I think a lot of folks may be caught unawares next January 9.

I think this is pretty clear, but just because I'm having "that" kind of day (one where nothing is going smoothly) I'll ask.... I do not need this for a December trip, right? It looks like although the applications open in November, it is not needed until January, right?

You're right, KRS. If you are not going to be in the UK before January 8, 2025, there is nothing to do and nothing you need.

You're right, KRS. If you are not going to be in the UK before January 8, 2025, there is nothing to do and nothing you need.

Thank you! That's one less thing to worry about today. :)

Or it will be from 27 November.

Stuart, that's true, but you can download the app now. I have done so and since it's on my home page, it will be a reminder that I need to sign up before I leave for the UK in March.

So this would apply to people who only have a connection at Heathrow on their way back to the states from anywhere? I think a lot of folks may be caught unawares next January 9.

Lyndash, I have a feeling that airlines may be informing passengers of this.

The transit passengers will need to be careful. More clarity may be needed as to whether even those transiting airside on one ticket do or do not need an ETA.

Logically you would hope it would be just those transiting landside, on two tickets.

But the devil will be in the detail, so to speak.

LHR have already this year reported a sizeable decrease in transit passenger numbers from the pilot scheme, so doubtless there will be behind the scenes lobbying happening.

So this would apply to people who only have a connection at Heathrow on their way back to the states from anywhere?

Not just Heathrow but any airport in the UK. You would need it in any direction.

In the section on "What you can do with an ETA" is this:

transiting through the UK – including if you’re not going through UK border control

So, it looks like you will need an ETA even if you are staying airside. However, this really does need clarification.

Right now, many airlines have a section when booking a flight internationally to what is required to enter that country. I'm sure they'll include this information since they'll probably have to check you have one prior to boarding.

How about non-UK/non-Irish citizens going from Ireland to Northern Ireland or Great Britain? I’m wondering how it works with the CTA?

"since they'll probably have to check you have one prior to boarding."

This could get chaotic- there are tens of thousands of people with the legal right to live in the UK who the government is yet to move to electronic visas/residency proof, and others (like me) who have right of abode in the UK but foreign passports.

Interestingly (for anyone who leaves applying too late) the government site notes:

"You must apply for an ETA before you travel to the UK. You can travel to the UK while waiting for a decision."

Thank you everyone for the info!

And just to confuse things, don't forget that the EU is going to start requiring similar information next year through ETIAS.

According to their website, that is slated to begin "in the first half of 2025" but we've heard that before. Perhaps there will even be an attempt to have these two databases play nice together ...

Perhaps there will even be an attempt to have these two databases play nice together ...

I seriously doubt that, these are two entirely separate entities. The UK refused to integrate many things when they were part of the EU, I see no incentive now.

Perhaps there will even be an attempt to have these two databases play nice together ...

Never. The EU is intent on punishing the UK for having the temerity to leave the union, they'd never agree to it even if it made sense.

We are traveling to Europe summer 2025. Going to England, then France and Germany. It seems I need the ETA for England, and then ETIAS for France and Germany (if it is online by then). The ETIAS site says not to book travel until you get authorization, but how is that possible if we have no idea when it will be active? Are safe to book travel?

The same is true of any such scheme. The ETA/ETIAS whatever could be refused in the checking process if you are found to have some kind of suspicious background, or an unspent felony.
Is that actually statistically likely to happen? No, but it could.

Unless you know you have a shady background then the chance of being refused travel is very close to (but not equal to) NIL.

Exactly the same applies for foreign visitors to the USA where the Dept of Homeland Security could be capricious, or even act on false intelligence,

Equally, like a VISA waiver to the US, you could still in theory be refused entry at the Border. I could do everything right, get all the correct paperwork but still be refused entry at the US border, if new information has come to light. It very rarely happens, but can.

We'll be in the UK on January 8th (entering January, 2nd & departing January 12th).
I'm assuming that we won't need ETAs but can't find anything confirming that.
Does anyone have a link or other confirmation that we won't need ETAs?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

Best thing you can do is follow official sites.

And posted in the original post by isn31c
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-get-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

Thank you VAP, but neither of these links addresses my question. They only say when one can apply.

@declan- Simply there isn't a clear answer to your question currently. That is one of quite a few grey/gray areas in the ETA scheme at the moment.

As I read it, and this is emphatically not any kind of legal or definitive opinion, the ETA will be needed to enter the UK (to be presented before boarding your flight/ship/train/bus to the UK. It does not appear that you will have to present your ETA on departure, thus on that basis if you have entered the UK before the start date then you are in the clear.

But I guess that will be tidied up closer to the time.

Unless you are suspected of an unconnected felony then no law enforcement authority has any powers in the UK to ask you on the street for proof of your identity/right to be here/whatever turn of phrase others wish to use.

One of the other gaping holes is the open border on the Island of Ireland- how ETA's are meant to work entering Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland/Eire. I know one poster keeps writing dire warnings of deportation and banning- totally unsupported by any official statement or document.

Thanks, Stuart. I'm pretty sure we'll want to visit England next fall, on our way to Spain and France.

Thanks isn31c.
That (that we'll be fine entering before January 8th without ETAs & so from 8th onwards we'll be fine as we're already there) is my reading of the situation too but I was hoping there might be some clarification somewhere that I'd missed.
I appreciate your input.

Checked BA and Delta sites. Neither has anything about the ETA program.

Did a 'booking' on BA all the way to the payment page, for a trip from SEA in late January and a US phone number, and nothing came up about the ETA.

I suspect some folks may be in for a surprise, of the unwelcome sort, when they fly after to start date.

A cursory look at Delta says a US passport holder did not need a visa to visit UK.

A cursory look at the RS Tours site for ENGLAND, 2025 has no mention of this requirement....hmmm.

Hope this keeps getting bumped to the top to be some sort of alert to folks planning UK travel next year.

I'd be watching IATA Travel Center. This is where airlines check document requirements for passengers.
https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/

As of today.......

Americans, Canadians, Australians and Kiwis, among others, can start applying for a UK ETA on November 27.

You will need it to ENTER the UK starting on January 8, 2025. (If you are already in the UK you do not need the ETA until the next time you enter.)

It will cost 10 GBP, lasts for two years, and allows you to enter as many times as you want. They claim it shouldn't take more than three days to get one once you've applied.

There is an official app for both Apple and Android that can be used to apply. They claim it will be the easiest way.

This has nothing to do with any other entrance paperwork we might need for the EU/Schengen. No official start date for those has been announced.

I've just done the same and done a dummy booking (up to payment stage) for LHR-SEA on BA and it doesn't tell me anything about needing an ESTA to enter the United States- using a UK phone number.

Arriving on the Friday of Thanksgiving Weekend and departing the following Monday 3 days later. Interesting that the cost is barely any higher than normal at £687 return- I look at the return BA fare quite often, usually around £600 return or a bit more. They try to sell me car rental at £34/day and a hotel (choice of one- the Hyatt downtown) at £130 a night. I suspect both of those prices are actually quite reasonable. But no mention of ESTA.

Also very interesting that there is now a day flight arriving SEA at 1120. I've not seen that day flight before, only one that arrives early evening.
I would have expected higher fares that weekend.

What is the “destination” for all the fees collected??

What is the “destination” for all the fees collected??

The big government fiscal black hole.

I will take a direct flight (Jan 29, 2025) from Houston to Singapore on Singapore Airline SQ51 flight. It needs to make a stop at Manchester for 1hr 15 min for refilling. All passengers will be asked to leave the plane and wait in the terminal. Is this “transit” included in the kind of transit they were talking about? Do I need a UK ETA? The Singapore Airline will not let me get on board without an ETA? How do they check if I have one or not? Thanks for any info/advice.

Yes, you will need the ETA. Work your way through the link in the OP and it will tell you that.

How do they check if I have one or not?

I suspect the airline transmits a list of passengers, and their passport info, to UK authorities before the plane leaves the gate. This is why the airline requires your passport info

I suppose we may hear in a few days, but I do not believe the airlines have any obligation to verify that travelers have completed an ETA. Even if they have a requirement, the system produces nothing (a QR code, number, etc.) that would indicate that you were approved that is tied to your passport, so how would they?

I suspect, that if someone shows up at LHR without an ETA, and they go through the e-gates, scan their passport, they will be flagged and need to go to an actual person to go through the process (at least for the near future). To be honest, if you land, and are told of the ETA, you would need only go online and apply, you need not be approved, and you would be good (though based on most responses, you would likely be approved by the time you got through immigration)

I suppose there are other questions, like the one above, where one has the requirement (technically) to have an ETA, but you never go through any passport control (deplane, then re-plane; entering Northern Island by land, taking flights from Ireland to the UK under the CTA). But in the end, just do it, go through the motions, do the right thing, let them worry about it.

Australia has had an ETA requirement for years. The airlines verify a passenger's ETA before allowing the passenger on board. I know someone who was denied boarding to Australia as an ETA was not in place.

The check is transparent to the traveler. Individual ETA info is stored in the airline reservation system as I understand the system.

I would guess that the new UK ETA would work similarly. Applying for the UK ETA was remarkably similar to an Australian ETA.

You will need the ETA to transfer through the UK https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/layovers-and-transiting

One feature that looks a bit unusual is that passengers that have applied for an ETA but have not received a decision will be cleared to board. At present (which most likely is transitional) this means someone who didn't know anything about ETA and qualifies can apply at the airport when told by the airline and fly without necessarily waiting for approval (although this may trigger additional checks at the border if it isn't processed in the meantime and the person would be refused entry if it were declined).

"The Singapore Airline will not let me get on board without an ETA?"

Singapore Airlines flashes a message at the electronic bag drop warning passengers they may need to have submitted an ETA, but I doubt you will be refused boarding without one, and as has been noted, you don't actually have to have one approved - if you apply and are awaiting a decision, you can still travel.

Also important to note that if you have a visa, or you have Right of Abode, you don't require an a ETA.

Thank you for all the advice. Need it or not, I have decided to donate £10 to the UK beggar.
“Fly before approval”! So, is it really for security or £?

I have decided to donate £10 to the UK beggar.

is it really for security or £?

ask the US government which put in a similar requirement for visitors to the US. Not this year, but in 2009. Called ESTA. That one costs $21 and many more questions. The ETA is in a way an answer to ESTA.

Does that make you feel better or worse?

So, is it really for security or £?

It is not for money, despite what the naysayers say. For security? Well, it has already proven that. Even on this forum, a couple people have been denied. Why? they have felonies that resulted in jail terms. That in itself is not "proof" they will be a problem, but the UK is within their rights to deny entry.

Basically, both the UK and and the Schengen zone are implementing these measures (as the US already has, as well as Australia) to collect more information ahead of time, to make the entry process faster and smoother. I for one look forward to the day I can wander off a plane, scan my passport and be on my way. No standing in line, answering inane questions from an immigration officer, getting a stamp, and moving on.

"I for one look forward to the day I can wander off a plane, scan my passport and be on my way."

In the not too distant future you won't need to scan your passport at all. In fact already at some of the terminals at Singapore Changi, you don't need to scan your passport to exit the country - it's all biometric. I'm pretty sure my current 10 year passport is the last one I'll need.

@Steve C - "fly before approval" is likely to allow people who have emergency trips tp make them whole waiting for a decision (although in most cases this is very quick).

Hear, hear, Nigel. My husband has indeed been doing ESTA to come with me to the States since 2008.

So I guess he's been paying the "US beggar" every couple of years (except during COVID) during that time.

BREAKING NEWS FOR TRANSIT PASSENGERS-

It has just been announced that the ETA will NOT be required for passengers transiting airside through Heathrow Airport. This only applies to Heathrow.
Not Manchester or any other airport.
The Government ETA page will doubtless be updated in due course.

The official announcement is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-steps-for-a-more-efficient-immigration-system

One other feature though: the ETA fee may rise towards £16 as part of this package of changes.

Interesting. I wonder if there has been some lobbying from British Airways behind that decision?

Airports too I imagine.

However, following feedback from the aviation industry, the government has agreed a temporary exemption for passengers who transit airside, and therefore do not pass through UK border control.
This move will primarily affect Heathrow and Manchester airports, as the only UK airports which currently offer transit facilities. The exemption will be kept under review.
(From the link provided by Marco)

I wonder what happens when an airline or ATC computer system has a hiccup and flights are messed up forcing people ( who do not have the ETA because all they planned to do was 'transit') to stay overnight at an off airport hotel?

Joe- that was my question on Laurel’s post. We had that happen to us in 2023 where the delay was long enough to leave the terminal. So what would happen in that scenario?

You cam apply for an ETA and enter the UK while awaiting a decision, so I imagine you could complete it when you arrive and before passport control, or even while you're on your flight, given the wide availability of broadband on flights

It turns out that what was reported by the press yesterday was incorrect. This a!l still needs to be approved by Parliament and then the primary legislation amended. That is not going to happen overnight.
Until then we just don't know the fine details, anything we say here is just speculating.

A side question, what would happen if someone was overflying the US on the way to Canada or South America for instance, and had to unexpectedly land in the US. Many pax would not have an ESTA. Can you apply on arrival there?

Interesting. I wonder if there has been some lobbying from British Airways behind that decision?

Heathrow Airport was a major player in trying to get this changed. That along with the airlines.

side question, what would happen if someone was overflying the US on the way to Canada or South America for instance, and had to unexpectedly land in the US. Many pax would not have an ESTA. Can you apply on arrival there?

No need. If your plane if forced to make an amergency landing, the immigration officers will be aware of that and process you separately. All an ESTA does, as does an ETA, is pre-screen you on certain criteria to make immigration quicker. An ESTA or ETA or even a visa doesn't guarantee you entry into a country. It is still up to the immigration officers to decide.

Any flight overflying the US must have its passenger list sent to US Homeland Security ahead of time to make sure all passengers are safe to fly (not on the No Fly List.) If they are on the list, they can't board the airplane even if it doesnt stop in the US.

Additionally, it would also depend on how long you will be on the ground. If the plane lands for a minor repair, the passengers would probably be kept in a holding area airside and never see an immigration officer.

Heathrow Airport was a major player in trying to get this changed.
That along with the airlines.

I'm not surprised, once introduced it will be a reason to not fly via the UK.

I am having major issues with ETA application, have tried using App and online applications. It keeps dropping me out. Have tried for 3 days. It keeps locking me out because I have tried so many times. Online application got all the way to payment, put in payment and then it said payment not complete. On the app it drops me after scanning passport. Getting very stressed out. I have a hyphenated name, don't know if that can be a problem. No problem with my debit card, called the bank. Any advice, really stressed.

It turns out that what was reported by the press yesterday was incorrect. This a!l still needs to be approved by Parliament and then the primary legislation amended. That is not going to happen overnight.

Seems that part at least can be done overnight as the following had been added today to the "Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)" page:

You do not need an ETA to transit through the UK if you will not pass through border control (‘airside’ transit).

I suspect in practice it will be needed if not traveling on a single ticket as the first airline at check-in wouldn't be aware of the onward flight (possibly even if it were with the same carrier).

Apologies in advance if you've already tried this, but have you tried using a different payment card? Or Apple Pay? Worth a try.