Everyone wishing to visit the United Kingdom will soon have to seek permission beforehand, as the country is working to launch a new Permission to Travel scheme.
More specifically, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will apply to visa-exempt travelers in addition to non-visa nationals, who can enter the UK for limited stays without having to apply for a visa, VisaGuide.World reports.
Although the official list of eligible countries is yet to be confirmed, it is expected that travelers from the EU and other visa-exempt countries such as Canada, Australia, the US, Singapore, New Zealand and Hong Kong, will need to apply in advance.
Under this new scheme, eligible passport holders will be able to enter the UK for up to 180 days for tourism or business purposes, while those visiting the county for other purposes including working, have to apply for a visa beforehand.
Furthermore, British and Irish citizens with valid immigration permission are exempted from the requirement to apply for an ETA before traveling.
Obtaining an ETA will be an easy and quick process and the requirements for the application include completing an online form and paying a fee – details that are yet to be discussed.
However, the main documents an applicant needs in order to submit a proper application for ETA include a valid national biometric passport, travel details, email address and a debit or credit card.
After providing the required documentation, applicants will have to answer a short set of suitability questions, which will be checked to later determine, based on these answers whether the person has permission to visit the UK.
“Our flagship permission to travel scheme will mean that it is easier for our friends to come to and contribute to the UK, but harder for those we do not want to come here. Electronic Travel Authorisations will enable us to tackle problems upstream and we will know more about those who use the system to come here,” the New Plan for Immigration points out.
The ETA will be gradually introduced throughout this year, with the first phase being in early 2023. More specifically during the first quarter of the year, including months like January, February and March, the private beta testing phase will be launched while the second phase, rolled out from late Q1 and early Q3 will apply to nationals of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The third phase will be operated in the late second quarter and will be the final phase, indicating the ETA will be applied to the remaining countries of the world.
The post UK Expected to Launch Electronic Travel Authorisation This Year appeared first on VisaGuide.World.
