Foreign visitors traveling to Great Britain must meet a series of requirements to obtain an electronic travel authorization for the United Kingdom (eTA).
eTA for the United Kingdom is one of the simplest and fastest methods to obtain permission to enter the country.
It is not possible to enter the United Kingdom without a valid visa or visa exemption. This is true unless the passport holder has citizenship, and therefore a passport, from one of the nations with a visa-free entry agreement with Great Britain. Applying for a traditional visa (the one affixed to the passport, to be clear) for the United Kingdom requires a trip to a British foreign mission. Approval can take up to 3 weeks.
In the case of a UK eTA, however, the entire application process is handled completely online and travel authorization approval for Great Britain is granted in most cases within 72 hours. This document, issued online and received in your email inbox, allows foreign visitors to stay in the United Kingdom for up to a maximum of 90 days for each trip. The purposes of travel included can be varied.
This section explains the conditions that travelers to Great Britain must meet to enter the country safely and in an orderly manner. The following will be thoroughly clarified:
Which nationalities are eligible for a UK eTA?
The UK eTA has yet to be launched. It will allow visitors with citizenship from countries eligible for the visa exemption travel program (non-visa nationals – NVN) to travel to Great Britain for tourism or for work or medical reasons. Short study courses under 18 hours per week will also be eligible. Visitors from these countries will benefit from an easier and faster registration process for entry permits compared to other nations.
However, it is possible that other countries will be added to this system in the future. Once Great Britain has completely left the European Union government framework, after a Brexit transition period, it is expected that visitors from the European Economic Community (EEC) will also need an eTA to enter Great Britain for short visits.
The countries currently members of the EEC are:
Citizens whose nationality is not among those eligible for the eTA program
Citizens with a nationality among those excluded from the visa exemption travel agreement for the United Kingdom will instead have to apply for an appropriate visa for the United Kingdom. In most cases, this can be requested at a UK embassy or consulate locally.
This process is slower compared to the online eTA application. Depending on the type of visa and the applicant’s situation, a decision can take 3 weeks (excluding particular delays to be considered case by case). Therefore, it is strongly recommended to apply for the visa well in advance of the departure date for Great Britain.
What documents are required to obtain UK eTA?
To successfully apply for an eTA for Great Britain, the applicant must have some essential elements. These will be necessary to complete the online form and successfully register for the visa exemption.
When filling out an application, you will need:
Conditions upon arrival when in possession of UK eTA
When going through immigration in the United Kingdom, you must present your previously registered passport and a digital or paper copy of the approved UK eTA. A UK Border Force agent will then verify that the documents are correct and may then grant entry to the country.
However, citizens with dual citizenship and those with multiple passports are required to enter the United Kingdom with the same identity document used during the registration process for electronic travel authorization. Arriving in Great Britain with a passport different from the one electronically linked to an eTA will invalidate the visa exemption.