I had just uploaded my post about the EU’s ETIAS traveler authorization program when I got an e-mail alert from a travel news service I subscribe to. The alert told me the UK was implementing similar requirements for U.S. visitors. Immigration officials from the UK will begin accepting ETA submissions from U.S. citizens on November 27th of this year, for travel on or after January 8th of 2025. That's coming up pretty soon, so I thought I would follow up my EU post with another describing the UK program.
If it seems like this program has come out of the blue, it has. I guess since the UK doesn't have to coordinate with the bureaucracies of 27 nations like the EU must, they can move a bit faster. The UK started work on their Electronic Travel Authorisation (spelled with an "s" instead of a "z" because that's how they do it in the UK) in early 2023. They implemented their ETA program in the fall of 2023, initially for citizens of just one country, Qatar. In 2024 the UK expanded the ETA program to include citizens from all Gulf Cooperation Council nations, and they are set to expand it yet again in January of 2025, this time covering citizens from a long list of countries to include the U.S.
Both the UK and the EU programs, and others like them around the world, are modeled after a similar U.S. Government program...the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). So I guess you could say we started it. The U.S. ESTA was developed as a post 9-11 attempt to keep out bad actors, and by bad actors I mean foreign terrorists and criminals...not Hallmark Channel movie stars. Though I suppose an argument could be made to deny entry to them as well.
There are several differences between the UK and EU travel authorization systems that bear mentioning, but first I’ll cover the basics of the UK's program beginning with a brief geography lesson. The UK is made up of four different countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is the small-ish chunk on the northeastern portion of the island…that place where the Titanic was built. If you plan to visit any of those countries on or after January 8th of 2025, you’ll need a permission slip from the UK Government. The Republic of Ireland, the bigger chunk of Ireland and the place where Guinness comes from, is not part of the UK. And though it has been a member of the EU since BREXIT, it is not participating in the EU's ETIAS program. So...if you plan to visit Dublin you don't need a permission slip, but if you plan to visit Belfast you do. Simple.
As with the EU EITAS form, the UK’s ETA form is almost as easy to fill out as an Amazon.com online order form. You’ll need to enter information from your passport, and you’ll be asked several additional questions regarding your identity, travel plans, criminal history, and whether you’ve previously been denied entry to or kicked out of the UK. You’ll also have to submit a passport quality selfie, and that is perhaps the most difficult part of submitting the form. If the picture you submit is rejected, pay attention to the details regarding why it was rejected, and reread the picture requirements. Then try again. And again if you have to.
Along with submitting the online form and photo, you’ll have to pay a 10£ ($10.50ish) processing fee by credit or debit card. The UK Government advises travelers to submit their ETA form at least three days prior to their departure, and they promise a response by e-mail within that timeframe. As with the EU’s program, there is an appeals process if the UK denies your ETA request.
Approved ETA submissions will be tied to the visitor’s passport, so like the EU program there will be no QR code to scan or letter to display. When the UK immigration agent scans your passport, your ETA approval status will be displayed on their computer.
As similar as the EU’s ETIAS and the UK ETA programs are, there are some notable differences. The UK ETA program offers users an app so you can complete your submission on your phone. The EU program does not, at least not yet. To download the UK app, search "UK ETA" in your phone’s app store, but remember...the system won't begin accepting submissions from U.S. citizens until November 27th, and then only for travel on or after January 8th of 2025. I’m not one to prefer phone apps over my laptop, but the UK ETA app is an exception. The app comes with more user-friendly instructions, and it includes a helpful tool for taking and uploading the required selfie.
Another difference between the EU and UK programs is with the terms of approval. The EU’s ETIAS permits entry to any participating EU country multiple times for up to 90 days within a 180 period, and it is valid for three years. The UK ETA allows you to enter the UK as many times as you wish for visits lasting up to six months, but it is only valid for up to two years.
The most notable difference is that the EU program does not require an ETIAS approval for transit passengers, while the UK's ETA program does. The UK program requires transit travelers passing through UK airports enroute to a non-UK destination to submit an ETA form, even if you never leave the secure area of the international terminal. It isn’t clear to me how anyone can tell if you’ve complied with the ETA requirement if you don’t pass through an arrivals immigration checkpoint and have your passport scanned, but perhaps the UK will be relying on airlines to verify compliance as part of the check-in process.
Janet and I have several trips to Europe planned over the next six months, including some with connections in London/Heathrow. We’ll be old pros at both the UK ETA and EU ETIAS systems just in time for the summer travel season, and I’ll be sharing our experience along with any additional tips we pick up along the way. If you want more details on the UK ETA program you can go to their website. It isn't accepting submissions from U.S. travelers at this time, but you can get an idea what will be required when they do, in late November.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
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