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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is introducing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme globally.
The ETA is not exactly the same thing as a visa, as it does not guarantee entry into the UK, but only allows travel to the UK, and it is still necessary if a passenger is only going to change planes in the UK to go on to another destination, for example France, Greece, Spain.
The UK ETA takes effect from Wednesday, January 8, 2025, and nationals of Barbados and most other Caribbean islands as well as the USA and Canada will therefore be required to apply for the ETA online or via the UK ETA app. Persons who plan to travel may begin applying for the ETA from Wednesday, November 27, 2024.
Applications for an ETA are made preferably through mobile phones using the UK ETA app, available from the App Store and Google Play. Applications can also be made online at a UK government website. Each traveller, including children and babies, must have an individual ETA.
Applicants for an ETA must:
- Upload or take a photo of their original passport
- Scan their passport, if it contains an electronic chip and their mobile device can read it
- Scan their face, except for children age 9 or younger
- Upload or take a photo of themselves
- Answer questions about their address, job, criminal history, and other nationalities, if any
- If under age 18, provide contact information of someone with parental responsibility for the applicant
- Pay a fee of £10 with a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay
- Have access to email
The applicant’s information is checked against security databases. If the system does not find adverse information about the applicant, the travel authorisation is granted automatically, otherwise the application is forwarded to an officer to decide whether to grant the authorisation.[1] The decision is sent to the applicant by email, usually within three working days.[10]
Countries that will need the ETA include the following:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Macao Special Administrative Region
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Samoa
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Taiwan (if you have a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- United States
- Uruguay
The Electronic Travel Authorisation is linked to the passport used in the application and is valid for multiple trips to the UK over a two-year period. If persons acquire a new passport, they will need to get a new ETA. The application fee is £10 (ten UK pounds), and applicants will receive an email confirmation within three working days or sooner.
While an ETA grants individuals permission to travel to the UK, it does not grant them entry. So, they will still need to go through passport control at the border to enter the UK.
Everyone travelling or transiting the United Kingdom needs to get an ETA, including babies and children. Applications can be made for other people. However, refunds will not be granted after applications have been submitted.
To apply for the ETA and for further details, persons may visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta.
The UK ETA does not apply to countries whose nationals require a visa to enter the UK. In addition, it cannot be used for travel to the UK for the purpose of work, study, or residence.
The United Kingdom authorities have indicated that the ETA scheme will strengthen the UK’s border security and expedite safe travel for nationals of Barbados as they pass through the UK border.
In addition, the ETA scheme will be used to facilitate increased automation as the UK works towards a contactless border.
Source: Barbados GIS.
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