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The days of simply flashing your Australian passport at Heathrow Airport are almost over.
From tomorrow, changes to the UK’s border security system will mean Australian travellers need to apply for permission to enter the UK.
The UK government is digitising its border security and last year launched its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. The program will eventually require all visitors who do not need a visa and were not born in the UK or Ireland to seek permission to travel before their arrival.
Applicants need a valid biometric passport and an email address.
The ETA costs $20 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years or until the holder’s passport expires.
The scheme has already been rolled out for travellers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
By April 2025, all European visitors will also need an ETA to travel to the UK.
“Digitisation enables a smooth experience for the millions of people who pass through the border every year, including the visitors we warmly welcome to the UK who are predicted to contribute over £32 billion ($63 billion) to our tourism economy this year,” UK’s Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, said when the changes were announced last September.
“The worldwide expansion of the ETA demonstrates our commitment to enhance security through new technology and embedding a modern immigration system.”
Anyone who doesn’t need a visa to travel to the UK will soon need an ETA — an “electronic travel authorization” which pre-clears you for entry to the country before travel. This is the UK equivalent of the United States’ ESTA — a mandatory, paid-for authorization to travel, with security clearance done in advance.
Travellers from these countries will need an ETA to enter the UK from January 8. The only exception is EU citizens, who will need an ETA to enter the UK from April 2, 2025.
Citizens of these countries who are already resident in the UK do not need an ETA.
The scheme is for “short” visits to the UK of less than six months for tourism and business. There are a few other categories of ETA, including for short-term study and permitted paid engagements. These are listed on the UK government website.
Although some people are referring to it as a visa, it’s actually a visa waiver.
Travellers whose citizenship means they need a visa to enter the UK will still need to apply for a visa. (They won’t, however, need to get the ETA on top of that.)
Countries work on reciprocity when it comes to immigration. When the United States introduced its ESTA visa waiver in 2009, it was inevitable that countries now subject to it would introduce their own similar schemes.
The cost is a non-refundable £10 (about $20), and you can apply through the official app listed on the UK government website, or directly online.
The apps — for iPhone and Android — boast of being quicker, with 10-minute processing times. Be sure to apply through official channels, rather than through third-party websites, which may charge extra fees, and are less likely to handle your data securely.
You will need to upload a photo of your passport, scan and photograph yourself as you apply, upload the photo, and answer various questions about your plans. Applying online takes around 20 minutes and you must complete the process in one go — there is no chance to save as you go.
A decision will normally be given within three days, though the government warns it could take longer. You are allowed to travel to the UK while waiting for your decision, if you need to visit urgently; however you must have made the application before you travel.
Note that having an ETA doesn’t guarantee entry to the UK. You must still go through passport control and Border Force officials still have the final say over whether you can enter the country.
How long will it be valid?
Validity lasts for two years and multiple entries — so you can visit as often as you please.
However, note that it will be digitally linked to your passport — so if you get a new passport during those two years, it will no longer be valid and you must apply for a new one.
Can families get a joint ETA?
Everyone entering the UK needs their own ETA, including children and even babies. But you can apply on somebody else’s behalf.
Does this mean I can stay as long as I like?
The ETA is only intended for short stays of up to six months.
I’m just transiting through the UK. Do I still need the ETA?
Everyone entering UK soil, even for a quick onward connection, must have an ETA. (This is the same for any travellers transiting through the US, who need an ESTA.) You will not be allowed through passport control to the transit area without one.
