QCOSTARICA — The British government says it is a further step in its goal of digitalising the UK’s border and immigration system.
To do so, from January 8, 2025, all people wishing to travel to this country for a short stay – with the exception of Europeans – will need to first apply for an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) permit.
Until now, most visitors to the UK did not need to go through the complex process of applying for a visa. They only needed their passport to cross the border.
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But from this Wednesday, those travellers – whose countries were part of the visa-free program in the UK – such as Costa Rica – will have to apply for an ETA, including those travelling in transit to change planes in that country.
The scheme will then be extended to all citizens of European countries travelling for short periods on April 2, 2025.
The scheme began to be rolled out in November 2023 for nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the UK Home Office, the ETA program is in line with the approach that many other countries, such as the United States and Australia, have taken to border security.
The ETAs are digitally linked to the traveller’s passport and, according to the UK government, will help ensure stricter security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the UK.
The move, the government says, will also help “prevent abuse of the immigration system”.
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The plan was announced in March 2023 by Robert Jenrick, the then-ruling Conservative Party’s Immigration Minister, who stated that “ETAs will improve our border security by increasing our knowledge of who is seeking to come to the UK and preventing those who pose a threat from arriving.”
“It will also improve travel for legitimate visitors,” he added.
What are ETAs?
The ETA will require that before travelling the person submits their biographical, biometric and contact details, which will include photos of their face, to the Home Office website.
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When the traveller arrives in the country, border agents will check the ETA and may ask additional questions before deciding whether to allow entry.
The goal, officials say, is for facial recognition technology to eventually create “contactless corridors” where some passengers can enter the country without speaking to border agents.
This, they add, will “reduce queues at the border and help speed up legitimate travel to the UK.”
The ETA will cost £10 (about US$12.48) and will allow multiple trips to the UK for stays of up to 6 months at a time for 2 years or until the holder’s passport expires, whichever comes first.
Typically, a traveler can expect a decision on their ETA within three days, and if the permit is refused, they will need to apply for a visa.
Travelers from countries that do not have visa-free entry agreements with the UK will still need to apply for the correct visa to enter the country.
People trying to travel to the UK to live, work or study will also need to apply for an e-visa that provides digital proof of their immigration status.
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