Following the decision of the UK to introduce an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), the Irish authorities have said that such a scheme will damage tourism in Ireland.
The Prime Minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, was the one who raised concerns on the matter and stressed that as soon as the new system becomes effective, the two countries will face implications on the tourist trade, VisaGuide.World reports.
Varadkar said that the introduction of the scheme would damage the tourism sector of Ireland as visitors reaching the country without having to obtain a visa beforehand would then need to get an ETA in order to be permitted entry to Northern Ireland.
“Irish citizens, UK citizens and people permanently resident in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland will be exempt from, but I think it could cause problems for tourists, particularly tourists who don’t need a visa to come here,” the statement of Varadkar reads.
Additionally, taking into account the additional rules that foreign citizens who visit Ireland will soon need to follow to enter Northern Ireland, Varadkar said that this presents a barrier and, at the same time, highlighted that such a thing is not welcomed as the number of foreigners choosing the visit Ireland might drop.
“It’s not going to be a hard thing to do, but it’s an additional barrier and not something that’s welcome,” Varadkar added.
The UK authorities announced just recently that all foreigners who do not need a visa to enter the UK would need to get an ETA. The document gives permission to all its holders to travel to the UK, and it is electronically linked to the passport.
According to the UK Foreign Office, all those who get an ETA once required to will be allowed to enter and stay in the UK for up to six months for study, tourism, business, and family visiting purposes.
Moreover, those who get an ETA will be allowed to enter and stay in the UK for up to three months on the Creative Worker visa concession, and they will also be permitted to transit through the territory of the UK.
The requirement to get an ETA will not start applying to all foreigners at the same time. So far, the authorities have revealed that the requirement will start applying to nationals of Qatar on November 15, 2023.
Additional countries will be added to the list in 2024. Starting from February 22, 2024, the requirement to get an ETA will apply to nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.
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