Britain Introduces New Travel Permit Rule For Europeans

From Wednesday, European visitors to Britain must buy an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travel, costing 10 pounds, to enhance immigration security. Irish citizens are exempt. Introduced for non-Europeans last year, ETA approval links digitally to passports, allowing multiple UK visits over two years. Airlines must verify the ETA status. The EU will implement similar checks starting in October.

Starting Wednesday, European visitors to Britain will have to purchase an electronic permit in advance for trips. The UK government is following other countries in seeking to strengthen immigration security by screening people before they cross its borders. The Electronic Travel Authorisation ETA scheme requires all visitors who do not need a visa to enter Britain to purchase pre-travel authorisation online for 10 pounds, rising to 16 pounds from April 9. Irish citizens are excluded. The regime was initially rolled out to non-European nationals last year, including visitors from the United States, Canada, and Australia.

"Expanding ETA worldwide or interior ministry said applying for an ETA should be simple through the UK ETA app with the vast majority of applicants receiving a decision automatically in minutes. Applicants provide photos and biography details and answer questions on suitability and criminality. Once applicants successfully apply, their ETA is digitally linked to their passport.

An ETA allows multiple visits to the UK of up to six months over two years. Airlines, ferry, and train companies are responsible for verifying travellers' ETA status before they board. Budget airline EasyJet said on Tuesday that it did not expect the new permit requirement to dent demand for Europe to UK travel. According to official data, the UK received 22.5 million visitors from the European Union in 2023, up from 19 million in 2022. The EU's much-delayed post-Brexit border security checks for UK nationals entering the bloc are slated to be introduced in October. Britain left the EU in 2020.

The EU's Entry/Exit Systems will remove the need to manually stamp passports at the EU's external borders and instead create digital records that link a travel document to a person's identity using biometrics. EES will be a precursor to an enhanced system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It will also require citizens of the non-Schengen areas to pay a fee before travelling. Britons pay about 17 pounds for a similar permit to enter the US.

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