All travellers who do not need a visa to enter the UK will need an ETA by April 2025

Eligible non-Europeans from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and more will be required to have an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) if they plan to travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025.

From 27 November 2024, eligible non-Europeans will be able to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), and will be required to have an ETA, to enter the UK starting 8 January 2025. 

Eligible non-Europeans will be required to have an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) if they plan to travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025. They will be able to apply for this ETA from 27 November 2024, the government said on 10 September (Tuesday).

Additionally, the ETA will extend to eligible Europeans from 5 March 2025, who will need an ETA to enter the UK from 2 April that year.

With these, by April 2025, all travellers who do not need a visa to enter the UK will need an ETA to enter the country, as part of "major steps" the government is taking towards delivering its "ambitious aim" to digitise the UK border and immigration system.

"The introduction of ETAs is in line with the approach many other countries have taken to border security, including the US and Australia", it added. 

Per the update, everyone wishing to travel to the UK – except British and Irish citizens – will need permission to travel in advance of their entry, either through an ETA or an eVisa. An ETA costs £10 and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time or over two years, or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. 

Existing and future eligibility for an ETA to the UK

Currently, individuals of nationalities from the following locations can apply for an ETA to the UK:

• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates

From 27 November 2024, individuals of nationalities from the following locations (including associated territories) can apply for an ETA:

They can travel to the UK with an ETA from 8 January 2025.

• 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
• US
• Uruguay

Individuals of nationalities from the following locations can do so by 5 March 2025:

They can travel to the UK with an ETA from 2 April 2025.

• Andorra
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• San Marino
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Vatican City

> Refer to the respective lists here. <

The above aside, the government noted that individuals who need a UK visa to live, work or study in the UK are now issued with an eVisa, providing digital proof of immigration status, instead of physical immigration documents which can be lost, stolen, or tampered with. It also aims to streamline the experience for these individuals.

In that vein, the government has urged migrants in the UK who currently use a physical immigration document, including a biometric residence permit (BRP), or a passport containing ink stamps or visa vignette stickers, to take action now and create an online account to access their eVisa.

"Most BRPs are due to expire on 31 December 2024, and BRP holders are urged to take action before their BRP expires.

"Creating the account enables people to use online services to prove their rights and manage their data, such as their personal details and passport information, and won’t impact their underlying immigration status. Through government funding, extra support is being provided for vulnerable people who need to take action to move from physical documents to an eVisa", it stated.