In 2025, EU citizens and nationals of many other countries will need a £10 permit to enter the UK

In 2025, European citizens will need an ETA to travel to the UK. Image credit: Shutterstock

While the European Union is planning to introduce its own travel authorization scheme for visa-exempt non-nationals, the UK is extending its compulsory Electronic Travel Authorization system, or ETA, to cover European citizens from spring 2025, with applications costing £10. Citizens of several other nations will need this authorization as of January.

Whether for a shopping trip, the London Marathon, a relaxing break in Brighton, a language exchange, the Glastonbury Festival or one of Oasis' reunion tour gigs in summer 2025, there are all manner of reasons to visit the UK. From next April, citizens of the European Union will need to take extra steps before packing their bags, as a passport alone will no longer be enough to enter the country. An Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will also be compulsory for EU citizens, except for Irish nationals (the UK government lists all countries subject to the ETA on its website) starting April 2, 2025.

Similar to the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), European travelers will have to fill out an online application several days before departure. It will take between two and three days to obtain the permit, provided you have supplied the required documents, notably a copy of your passport. It will also be necessary to state the reason for your trip. The good news is that the ETA should be valid for two years. The bad news is that the document is not free. It costs £10, or around €12/US$13.

The ETA system is already in place for citizens of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Eligible non-Europeans who do not need a visa for travel to the UK (including US, Canadian, Japanese, Malaysian, Singapore, NZ, Australian, Brazilian and Mexican nationals) will need an ETA starting January 8, 2025.

The aim of the scheme is to reinforce border security. Indeed, the European Union has already planned to introduce its mandatory ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) from next spring. This new document -- the introduction of which has been postponed several times -- does not only concern UK citizens. It will be compulsory for all non-European travelers who do not require a visa to visit Europe (notably Canadian, US and Australian citizens) but who are planning a short trip there.

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Note that the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is not a visa and in no way replaces these separate travel documents. It simply grants visa-exempt travelers permission to enter the country. It takes less time to obtain, and requires fewer documents. To stay in a country for a longer period of time, to work or study for example, a visa is usually required.

Many countries are currently working on their own electronic travel authorization systems, such as Japan, which could introduce such a scheme for nationals of 71 countries and territories, including European citizens.