Share the article
Whether it’s London, an iconic metropolis famous for its red telephone boxes, double-decker buses and lush parks, or quaint, medieval Edinburgh, with its cobbled alleys and imposing medieval castle, the UK is an incredibly popular destination among Americans .
They have been welcomed with open arms in Britain for many years, and recently even without the usual border formalities, since the country allowed American travelers to use eGates to get through passport control.
From now on though The British authorities will tighten entry rules for Americans, where they only need to apply for a travel permit to fly to the country:
From 2025, DO NOT fly to England unless you have permission!
Earlier this year, Britain announced that all foreigners who do not currently require a visa to enter will need a new electronic travel permit, and they even set an official start date.
From January 8, 2025Citizens of 48 countries, including the United States and Canada, will be subject to a new Entry Travel Authorization (ETA) requirement, meaning boarding flights and ships to the United Kingdom will no longer be permitted unless prior permission has been obtained.
In other words, unless you have an ETA in your name, you are not eligible to travel to the UK, even if you have a valid passport – unless of course you are also a resident of that country, a citizen of Great Britain -Britain or Ireland, or you meet a select exemption criterion.
Spoiler alert: regular American tourists don’t.
To start, what is an expected arrival timewhy is Britain imposing this on the Americans, and especially: how difficult is it to get one?
What is a UK ETA?
As the name suggests, an electronic travel authorization is a government-issued permit that allows you to travel to a country, similar to a visa, only it is much easier to obtain and without all the bureaucratic hurdles that it usually entails.
While a visa application often requires you to commute to and from consulates, perhaps more than once, to submit documents, submit an application, and schedule an interview (sometimes months in advance), you can apply online from the comfort of your own home. Apply for ETA. at home, with minimal documentation.
All you need is a valid passport with your estimated time of arrival linked to it, access to an email and a credit, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Yes, ETAs are (usually) not free, but unlike formal visas, they are much cheaper to obtain.
Why is Britain imposing this on the Americans?
Although many Americans are unaware of this, the United States introduced a similar system back in 2008, also called ESTA! For the past 16 years, many international visitors have been required to apply for an online permit before entering America.
Some may argue that this is a step-by-step action on Britain’s part, but if that were the case we would say this is a long-delayed action. In reality, this is just the UK adapting to the new policy. international standard, which sees ETAs are becoming the norm.
Several destinations have already imposed or will do so in the near future, from Europe’s 29-nation Schengen area to Thailand and South Korea, and countries like Australia and New Zealand have had ETAs in place for years.
What can we say? We are not fans of the extra bureaucracy ourselves, but… you just can’t ignore it.
How hard is it to get a UK ETA?
Short answer: not difficult at allbut you should be careful when filling in your details.
As for the long answer…
Upload a photo of your passport
During your application process, you can do this via the official app (available on both the Google Store and the App Store), take a photo of your passport, showing all four corners of the details page, the machine-readable zone (called MRZ) and your photo.
Once your passport is added, the app may automatically fill in the contact and passport details for you check again to see if this is the case 100% correct before clicking through to the next step.
Upload a digital photo
You will also be asked to upload or take a digital photo: selfies are allowed, as long as your face is clearly visible; either way, the app will let you know if the photo meets the criteria or not, and you can recreate them if necessary.
If you upload a photo, it must be no older than one month digital photo lines.
Answer the questionnaire
Then comes the questionnaire: these are a series of ‘yes or no’ questions relating to your character, such as whether you have previously been convicted of crimes, whether you have ever been refused entry to the UK, or whether you have been charged with terrorism.
Simply put, as long as you are a law-abiding US citizen who has never broken domestic or UK law, and you are an exemplary international traveler, you have nothing to fear and are immediately eligible for the travel authorization.
You are advised to do this answer questions honestly and carefullyas lies can easily be picked up by immigration authorities, and if you tick the wrong box (i.e. you are convicted of terrorism charges) you may be deemed ineligible to travel to Britain
Pay the fee
Once all the relevant boxes have been ticked and you have checked them thoroughly, it is time to pay for your ETA.
Currently the cost of the UK ETA is £10 (in British Pounds), or about $13and it can be paid for by credit or debit card, or contactless payment systems such as Google or Apple Pay; Once payment has been processed, it means your application has been submitted.
How long will it take to get your approval?
It may take up to 3 full days The Home Office must assess your application, and some may take even longer. So if you’re flying on or after January 8, 2025, you’ll want to register in advance. The good news is: Americans can start applying as early as November 27, 2024.
Most US citizens can expect a favorable response from the British authorities, but in the very unlikely event that they are refused – this usually happens when there are serious security concerns – you will need to apply for a visa at a British consulate.
How long is the British ETA valid?
British ETAs have a Valid for 2 years from issueand can be used on multiple trips during that period, or if the associated passport expires sooner, until the passport’s expiration date.
It is important to remind applicants that an ETA does not give you two years’ leave to enter the UK: each visit allows you to stay for up to six months at a time.
In addition, if you renew your passport while your ETA is still valid, you will need a new ETA.
What can you do with a UK ETA
An ETA is valid for travel to all four parts of the United Kingdom:
- England
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
It also gives you permission to travel to the British Dependent Islands off the British mainland, such as the idyllic Channel Islands, between England and France (Alderney, Guernsey, Jersey and Sark), and the Isle of Man, among the islands of Great Britain. and Ireland.
A British ETA does not give you permission to live or work in the United Kingdom.
Authorities have not yet clarified whether ETAs will be required for travelers entering Gibraltar, an overseas territory in southern Spain, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, on the island of Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, off the coast of Argentina, or other British-owned destinations governed countries around the world.
Once again, Americans will be subject to ETA rules from January 8, 2025, but they can apply as early as November 27, 2024 if they plan to fly to Britain in the New Year – the same goes for Canadians, Australians, Zeelanders citizens and others.
Interestingly, most European citizens (citizens of the European Union, but also the European Economic Area and European microstates) will only have to provide their expected time of arrival a little later, from March 5, 2025.
✈️Join our Travel Off Path community forum: Where travelers come together, ask questions, share experiences and even find like-minded travel companions!
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LATEST POSTS
Enter your email address to subscribe to the latest Travel Off Path breaking travel news, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
