Changes to the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme in the UK

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a scheme for visitors to the UK who do not currently require a visa to enter the UK. For nationalities included in the ETA scheme, ETA will be required to enter the UK as a visitor. The ETA can be used for entry to the UK for up to 6 months, depending on the reason for travel, and is valid for 2 years.

Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules have recently announced updates to the scheme where the list of eligible countries has been expanded significantly to include European nationals and additional non-European nationals. 

Currently, only nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are required to apply for ETA before travelling to the UK. As per the changes, Jordan has been removed from the list of eligible countries which means nationals of Jordan will now have to apply for entry clearance through other routes such as a standard visitor route before they can travel to the UK.

Further to the changes, nationals of these countries will be required to apply for an ETA before travelling to the UK. 

From 27 November 2024, non-EU nationals from the listed countries will be able to apply for an ETA for travel to the UK from 08 January 2025 onwards. 

From 05 March 2025, EU nationals from the listed countries will be able to make their ETA applications for travel to the UK on or after 02 April 2025. 

Although an ETA does not guarantee you entry to the UK, if you are a national of these countries, you will have to apply for an ETA before you can travel to the UK.

The Statement of Changes also introduced new grounds for refusal in cases where an ETA was previously cancelled or where entry as a visitor was previously refused, unless entry to the UK has since been granted.

Affected nationals should remain vigilant of these changes taking place and ensure that you have the correct entry permission to the UK before you travel. ETAs can take up to 3 days, and sometimes longer to be decided, so you should plan ahead when making these applications. 

There are conditions attached to the ETA scheme which travellers should keep in mind when making the applications and when travelling to the UK. Always ensure you are compliant with the UK immigration rules as non-compliance can impact your ability to secure a UK visa in the future.