EU Citizens Travelling to UK Will Have to Pay €11 Authorisation From April 2025
5722 Mins Read
EU citizens travelling to the UK without a visa will soon have to pay a €11 fee and apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
The UK introduced the ETA system last year, but this requirement has so far been applied only to certain nationalities.
To ensure more robust security checks and help the abuse of the immigration system, the UK government has decided to expand the ETA system to include EU citizens and nationals of several other third countries, Schengen.News reports.
According to the UK Home Office, citizens of the EU will be eligible to apply for an ETA from March 5, 2025, and they will need the document to travel to the UK from April 2, 2025.
As the UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper explained, the fee will apply to all EU citizens, including children and babies, who do not need a visa or do not have permission to work, live, or study in the country.
Cooper further emphasised that the scheme will close the gap in advance permission and will allow the authorities to have a comprehensive understanding of those who enter its territory.
The ETA will be issued within three days of application, and the document will remain valid for a period of two years. During this two-year period, the ETA holders will be able to travel to the UK as many times as they want, provided that they do not stay for longer than 60 days without returning to their home country.
EU Will Introduce Similar Scheme in Spring 2025, Too
Visa waiver schemes are not a new thing. The US already has in place this requirement for some groups of travellers, and the EU is expected to introduce a similar scheme next year.
Once the ETIAS is launched, all travellers from third countries who do not need a visa to enter the EU will be required to apply for the document before the trip.
The ETIAS will be valid for three years, and it will cost €7. The applications for the ETIAS will be made online and the document will be linked to the applicants’ passports.
