A system that sees visitors from certain countries to the UK pay a £10 fee is to be expanded to include many more territories. Until now, only a handful of states were involved with the scheme.
However, from November, a £10 fee will be levied on most travellers visiting the UK without a visa, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced. The Tory government had previously rolled out the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system in November last year for certain Gulf countries.
ETAs are currently required for nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Now, apart from Europeans, this requirement will extend to all other nations by November, with compulsory entry stipulations kicking in from January 8, 2025. European nationals will face the new travel protocol from March 2025, and it will become mandatory for them starting April 2, 2025, reports Wales Online.
Laying out plans before the Commons, Ms Cooper said: “Once fully rolled out, the ETA scheme will close the current gap in advance permissions and mean that for the first time, we will have a comprehensive understanding of those travelling to the UK.”
The scheme has been criticised by some. In August, a spokesperson for Heathrow Airport said: “While Heathrow continues to attract new routes and record passenger numbers, the latest data following the introduction of the ETA shows that Heathrow has lost 90,000 transfer passengers on routes operating to and from the seven countries included in the scheme, since its introduction in 2023.
“This is devastating for our hub competitiveness. We urge Government to review the inclusion of airside transit passengers. Every little bit of extra competitiveness that Government can deliver for aviation will help deliver vital growth for the whole of the UK economy.”