UK to expand ETA entry requirement next year.....

The UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is being expanded next year, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed today.

Currently, nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan are the only ones to need an ETA to get into the UK. However, starting on 8th January 2025, nationals from all other countries, except Europeans, will have to have an ETA to enter the country.  The ETA requirement will be extended to those from the EU from 2nd April 2025.

The ETA costs £10 to apply and everyone travelling will need to get an ETA, including babies and children to enter the UK by all means from the dates above. Adults will be able to apply for their children and others travelling with them. 

"Once fully rolled out, the ETA scheme will close the current gap in advance permissions and mean that for the first time, we will have a comprehensive understanding of those travelling to the UK." the Home Secretary wrote to Parliament in a written statement. 

See below for who can apply and when.....

UK expands eVisas to new biometric customers

The UK immigration system is going digital, meaning physical documents will be replaced with an online immigration status.

Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), vignette stickers in passports or ‘wet ink stamps’ are among some of the physical documents that will no longer needed. If you are granted a visa to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months – for example to work or study – you will now need to create a UKVI online account to access your eVisa. The account acts as an online record of your immigration status. For those granted a visa to stay in the UK for less than 6 months, for example as a tourist, you do not need to create a UKVI account.
High Commissioner Jane Marriott CMB OBE said: “We are constantly innovating to make it easier for Pakistanis to travel to the UK. This new use of technology will streamline a key part of the visa process, make it more secure and reduce the dependence on paper documents.”
The process is free, secure, and straightforward. You can find out more, including how to create an account, on our website: gov.uk/eVisa. You must not travel to the UK until you have received your passport and valid UK visa back from the Visa Application Centre (VAC). Updating a physical document to an eVisa does not affect your immigration status or the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.
Upon arrival in the UK you will still be required to collect a BRP. All BRP cards are valid until 31 December 2024, but the expiry of your BRP card does not affect your immigration status. You can use your BRP card to create your UKVI account and access your eVisa. You should continue to carry your BRP until it expires, and take your BRP and your passport when travelling overseas to prove your permission to return to the UK.
For more information, visit Online immigration status (eVisa) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)