What’s changing?

Nationals of all countries who do not currently require a visitor visa to travel to the UK for short-term business visits (known as “non-visa nationals”) will need to make an application for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (“ETA”)  in advance of their visit. An ETA is a digital permission to travel to the UK. Non-visa nationals include citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia and all EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, amongst others. The ETA scheme currently only applies to a small number of countries, but is now being extended to include all non-visa nationals.

When will an ETA be required?

The ETA scheme will be fully rolled out to all applicable countries by April 2025, with the requirement applying to:

• • all non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (i.e. to include US, Canadian, Australian etc nationals) traveling to the UK on or after 8 January 2025; and
  • all EU/EEA/Swiss nationals travelling to the UK on or after 2 April 2025.

Individuals who require a visit visa to enter the UK due to their nationality will continue to require a visit visa, and not an ETA. The requirement will not apply to Irish nationals, but there are specific considerations for non-Irish residents of Ireland travelling to the UK.

How to apply for an ETA?

The application for an ETA is made online or via an app, and should be processed within 2-3 days. Once granted, the ETA will be valid for 2 years (or until the expiry of the passport if sooner). The key eligibility criteria for an ETA are the “suitability” requirements, which consider the criminal history of the applicant, whether their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good,  and whether they have previously breached UK immigration law or made false representations. This means that some people who have been visiting the UK without issue will now find themselves being refused an ETA, and directed to apply for a visa instead which will take longer to be processed.

What action should the business be taking?

We would recommend that businesses start communicating this change to any staff members who are likely to travel to the UK from the relevant date and assist with ETA applications if required. As with any new IT system, there are likely to be some teething problems while travellers and air carriers get to grips with the changes, so travellers should be on notice to this.