New requirement to travel to the United Kingdom in 2025 unveiled

An electronic travel authorization is a new item to include on your pre-trip checklist if you plan to go abroad in 2025 or later.

Beginning on January 8, 2025, ETA will waive the need for a visa for any business or leisure journey to the UK lasting six months or less.

According to CNN, this is comparable to the US ESTA program, which mandates that incoming tourists pay for a travel authorization and complete a security clearance beforehand.

Residents of 48 nations, including the US, must apply for the ETA and pay the $10 charge. 10, which is slightly less than $12.50 today for those who don’t have the conversion available, CNN reported.

Applying for the ETA can be done using the certified app or on the official government website. According to CNN, the software claims to be faster, with processing times of 10 minutes, whether it is for Android or Apple users.

However, the government cautions that it may take longer, although the final decision regarding your ETA application should be made within three days.

According to the UK’s official website, you need to undertake the following in order to apply for the ETA:

A passport, since you ll be inputting a photo of your passport into the application.
A photo of yourself to input into the application.
A form of payment, such as a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Additionally, you will respond to several questions regarding your travels.

It is valid for any trip to the UK for two years after your ETA is approved, provided your passport does not expire during that period. You will need to reapply if it does.

Another thing to remember is that everyone who travels needs an ETA. Yes, your toddlers, teens, or elderly will require their own ETA since there isn’t a family plan.

Only the United Kingdom’s England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are covered by the ETA.

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