Non-Europeans visiting UK without visa will need digital permits from Wednesday

Non-Europeans visiting or transiting through the UK without a visa will be required to obtain a £10 digital permit from Wednesday.

The Home Office is extending the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system, which was first introduced in November 2023.

An ETA – which is a digital permission to travel – is currently only required for nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

They will become a requirement for non-Europeans entering the UK without legal residence rights or a visa from Wednesday, and for all travellers from April 2.

British and Irish citizens are exempt.

Applications for an ETA can be made through the UK ETA app or the gov.uk website.

ETAs are digitally linked to a traveller’s passport.

Abuse

The Home Office says they ensure “more robust security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the UK”, which helps prevent “abuse of our immigration system”.

Each ETA 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 if that is sooner.

More than 243,000 Gulf nationals were issued with ETAs in the first half of 2024, Home Office figures show.

Heathrow airport blamed the scheme for a 90,000 drop in transfer passenger numbers on routes included in the system since it was launched.

It described the programme as “devastating for our hub competitiveness” and urged the Government to “review” the inclusion of airside transit passengers.