Travelling to the United Kingdom will soon require additional administrative formalities. And above all, an extra ten euros in your pocket. On Tuesday, September 10, the British Home Office revealed the timetable for the deployment of its travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors. From April 2, 2025, the French, like their European neighbours, will have to have a dematerialised visa called Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel across the Channel, with applications opening from March 5. To obtain this precious sesame, European nationals will have to spend the sum of 10 pounds, or around 12 euros. An amount that all travellers, including children and babies, will have to pay.
Europe and 49 other countries impacted
In concrete terms, the ETA allows its holder to spend up to 6 months in the United Kingdom for tourism, work, short-term studies, visiting friends, or simply transiting through the country. This travel authorization, valid for two years or until the passport expires, thus allows multiple trips to the territory during this period. To obtain it, visitors will have to fill out a form available on the government portal or on the “UK ETA” mobile application, at least several days before their departure, the approval deadline being 72 hours. In case of forgetfulness, European nationals may be liable to a fine. Only holders of British and Irish passports are exempt from this electronic authorization.
And Europeans will not be the only ones forced to obtain this electronic visa. Visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia and 46 other countries will also need an electronic travel authorization. The only difference with Europe: for these territories, the ETA will be mandatory from January 8, 2025 and the online application possible from November 27.
A pilot phase for the Qataris
The goal of such a system? “To strengthen security through new technology and modernize the immigration system” while “reducing queues at the border” according to Yvette Cooper, British Home Secretary. This post-Brexit reform aimed at managing migration flows more efficiently is part of plans to fully digitize British airport borders by 2025. A measure that should only further widen the gap left by Brexit in January 2020.
In November 2023, the United Kingdom launched the scheme with a pilot phase for citizens of Qatar. A few months later, in February 2024, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan (now excluded from the ETA) were subject to the ETA. While the United Kingdom based itself on the ESTA, a model of visa exemption regime existing in the United States since 2009, no one can yet predict the consequences of the deployment of this scheme in Great Britain. While tourism in the territory has declined in recent years with 38 million visitors in 2023, compared to 40.9 million in 2019, will it be further hampered by this new development?