Britain is introducing from Wednesday the issuing of Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) for transit travel and short stays to citizens of all EU countries that do not currently require a visa for short stays.
Despite the established visa-free regime, Europeans wishing to travel to Britain for short stays of up to 6 months for tourism, private visits or business travel must first obtain an eTA, without which they will not be allowed to enter the country from April 2 this year.
The permit will be valid for 2 years or until the holder’s passport expires, whichever comes first, and will authorise multiple trips of up to 6 months. Once a new passport is issued, a new eTA authorisation will be required as it is linked to the relevant travel document.
Applicants are advised to have a valid passport, a credit or debit card with a £10 (€12) fee and a valid email address when applying.
A decision on the application will be made within 3 working days in most cases. This measure is already in place for over 50 countries worldwide and the scheme is constantly expanding. The only exception is for Irish nationals.
