European visitors in the UK will require a new online admission permit from Wednesday as the British government shakes the travel rules for a long time.
Europe’s passengers would now need a digital electronic travel authority (ETA) permit, which UK officials said they were rolling out to promote security and admission processes.
There will be a buffer period that can last for several months.
The permit can be purchased online for £ 10 (12 Euro) in the next few days, but the price is increasing rapidly from April 9.
The ETA has already been visited by the UK for American, Canadian and other visa-free citizens, which left the European Union in 2020.
Phil Douglas, head of the UK Seema Bal’s head, stated that the latest rollout was part of a comprehensive plan for visitors from all over the world to ETA.
“The scheme is essentially a border security measure,” he said, he said that he did not expect Wednesday’s launch to create disruption.
He said that the time of entry into the permit will be accelerated and the authorities will be allowed to check the information including the immigration history or criminal record of a traveler, said.
He said, “Kwid Pro Quo for the individual, however, is that we are building a contactless range, so if they are approved for admission, they will be able to use our new agets and will be able to pass through the limit more quickly,” they said.
He said, “People will still be able to reach aircraft and trains, while this is the introductory period,” he said, referring to the buffer period, saying that it was expected to last several months, “by September or October.”
The permit allows trips up to six months. It is digitally attached to the applicant passport and is valid for two years.
The application, which can be made on the smartphone app or through a government website, is open to Europeans since the beginning of March. This applies to citizens of some 30 European countries, including all of the European Union except Ireland.
Plan expanded
The applicant will need to provide a picture of his passport and their face. According to the UK Home Office, this process takes about 10 minutes.
In most cases, an application decision is made within minutes but the government recommends allowing up to three working days.
This will be necessary for infants and children, but flight passengers who transging without crossing the UK limit are exempted from the plan after the pressure of the heathro, which was expected to damage the loss of passenger footfalls connecting through Europe’s busiest airport.
Around 84 million passengers passed through Heathro in 2024 – one third of the neighboring European Union.
The scheme was first launched in 2023 before extending five regional bay neighbors for Qatar.
In January, it was expanded to citizens of about 50 countries and regions including Argentina, South Korea and New Zealand.
According to the Home Office, approximately 1.1 million visitors with the ETA were issued before the end of 2024.
This is not applied to the residents of the UK or anyone, who already has the status of UK immigration.
The ETA reflects the ETIAS scheme for visa-free citizens traveling to 30 European countries, including France and Germany, which has been delayed by 2026.
