By Paul Richmond – Managing Associate
In This Article
1. UK Digital Journey Authorisation (ETA): What You Must Know
2. ETIAS: The EU’s New Journey Authorisation System Defined
3. ETA vs ETIAS: Key Variations and What They Imply for Travellers
4. A Frequent Goal: Strengthening Borders By Pre-Journey Screening
5. Getting ready for ETA and ETIAS Necessities
6. Contact our Immigration Barristers
7. Ceaselessly Requested Questions
8. Glossary
As worldwide journey turns into more and more digitised and controlled, two main new pre-travel authorisation techniques are rising on the worldwide stage: the UK Digital Journey Authorisation (ETA) and the European Journey Info and Authorisation System (ETIAS). Whereas each techniques purpose to boost border safety and streamline entry for visa-exempt travellers, they apply to completely different areas, comply with completely different procedures, and carry distinct necessities.
On this put up, we look at the important thing variations between the ETA and ETIAS to assist travellers, companies, and immigration professionals navigate these upcoming adjustments.
1. UK Digital Journey Authorisation (ETA): What You Must Know
The UK Digital Journey Authorisation (ETA) is a newly launched pre-travel authorisation required for non-visa nationals travelling to the UK. Its major function is to boost the UK’s capacity to conduct advance safety screening of people looking for to enter the UK as both Guests (excluding Marriage/Civil Partnership Guests) for stays of as much as six months, or as Momentary Work – Artistic Employees underneath the related visa concession.
The ETA scheme applies to those that presently don’t want a visa to journey to the UK underneath these classes and who don’t maintain one other type of UK immigration standing. It represents a major step in the direction of strengthening immigration management, making certain that every one travellers—no matter whether or not they require a visa—are assessed earlier than departure.
In essence, the ETA fills present gaps within the UK’s immigration system by introducing a compulsory pre-arrival clearance for visa-exempt nationals. Candidates should submit an internet software through the official web site or the ETA app, pay a £10 software charge (growing to £16 from 9 April 2025), and supply biometric and passport info. Candidates should additionally reply questions regarding their suitability, together with any previous criminality, immigration breaches, or different conduct which will point out they aren’t conducive to the general public good.
The UK ETA is presently being rolled out in phases. The requirement first utilized to Qatari nationals from 15 November 2023, adopted by nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates from 22 February 2024. Since 8 January 2025, it has utilized to a variety of nations together with the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, and most of Latin America and the Caribbean. The scheme was additional expanded to incorporate nationals of European Union member states, the EEA, and Switzerland from 2 April 2025.
To be eligible for an ETA, candidates should use a nationwide passport. These travelling on some other kind of doc—similar to refugee journey paperwork or different non-national identification paperwork—should as an alternative apply for a UK visa.
Following a current change to the Immigration Guidelines, the Residence Workplace has additionally expanded the suitability standards for ETA candidates. Functions can be refused if the person has a historical past of prison convictions (notably these leading to custodial sentences of 12 months or extra), earlier immigration violations, excellent money owed to the NHS or the Residence Workplace, or if they’ve submitted false paperwork or did not disclose materials information. Moreover, people whose earlier UK go to visa purposes have been refused, or whose ETA has been cancelled for any cause, could also be ineligible and as an alternative required to use for a visa.
It is very important word {that a} refusal of an ETA doesn’t represent a refusal of permission to enter the UK. A person who’s refused an ETA should still be eligible to use for a Commonplace Customer visa or a Artistic Employee visa, relying on the character of their go to. Nevertheless, any such visa software will contain extra stringent scrutiny and a extra detailed examination of the applicant’s background and intentions.
Finally, the introduction of the ETA scheme is a part of the UK’s broader technique to modernise and safe its borders. Whereas the system might provide a extra streamlined course of for low-risk travellers, it additionally raises the bar for entry by requiring all travellers to endure safety checks previous to arrival. In consequence, people with complicated immigration histories or previous refusals ought to search skilled authorized recommendation earlier than submitting an ETA software.
2. ETIAS: The EU’s New Journey Authorisation System Defined
The European Journey Info and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a forthcoming entry requirement launched by the European Union for visa-exempt third-country nationals travelling to collaborating European nations. Whereas ETIAS operates in the same strategy to the UK’s Digital Journey Authorisation (ETA), it applies throughout a broader area encompassing most of continental Europe.
As soon as operational, ETIAS will turn into obligatory for nationals of roughly 60 nations who presently get pleasure from visa-free journey to Europe. This consists of travellers from the UK, United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and quite a few others. People from these nations can be required to acquire an ETIAS journey authorisation earlier than visiting any of the 30 collaborating European nations, which embrace all 27 Schengen Space states in addition to Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus.
ETIAS won’t operate as a visa. As a substitute, it’s a pre-travel safety clearance, designed to strengthen border administration and improve the EU’s capacity to evaluate safety, irregular migration, and public well being dangers earlier than travellers arrive. Though it’s a obligatory requirement for eligible guests, an authorized ETIAS doesn’t assure entry; ultimate admission selections will stay on the discretion of the related border authorities.
As soon as granted, the ETIAS journey authorisation can be legitimate for 3 years, or till the applicant’s passport expires—whichever comes first. It’s going to allow a number of short-term visits of as much as 90 days inside any 180-day interval for functions similar to tourism, enterprise, or transit.
The usual software charge can be €7, however candidates underneath the age of 18 or over 70 can be exempt from the charge. Most purposes are anticipated to be processed inside minutes, although some might take as much as 96 hours if extra checks are essential.
Following a number of delays, ETIAS is now anticipated to launch within the ultimate quarter of 2026. Travellers intending to go to Europe underneath visa waiver preparations ought to monitor official steerage carefully and guarantee they apply for ETIAS upfront of their journey as soon as the system turns into operational.
3. ETA vs ETIAS: Key Variations and What They Imply for Travellers
Whereas the UK ETA and EU ETIAS serve the same operate—requiring visa-exempt travellers to acquire digital authorisation earlier than getting into a vacation spot—they differ in a number of essential respects, together with their geographic scope, implementation timelines, eligibility standards, and related processes.
The UK ETA applies completely to people travelling to the UK as Guests (excluding Marriage/Civil Partnership Guests) or underneath the Momentary Work – Artistic Employee route. It has been rolled out in phases, however is obligatory for all related nationalities travelling to the UK from 2 April 2025. In distinction, the ETIAS will apply to travellers visiting 30 European nations, together with all 27 Schengen States in addition to Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus, and is now scheduled to launch within the ultimate quarter of 2026.
From a validity standpoint, the UK ETA is legitimate for 2 years, or till the applicant’s passport expires, and permits for a number of entries. The ETIAS, in the meantime, is legitimate for 3 years, or till the passport expires, and in addition permits a number of short-term stays of as much as 90 days inside any 180-day interval.
The appliance course of for each is digital and comparatively simple. UK ETA candidates should apply on-line or through the ETA app, pay a £10 charge (rising to £16 from 9 April 2025), and supply biometric and passport knowledge together with solutions to suitability-related questions. ETIAS candidates pays a €7 charge, though these underneath 18 or over 70 can be exempt. ETIAS purposes are anticipated to be processed virtually instantly generally, though some might require as much as 96 hours for safety checks.
When it comes to suitability standards, the UK ETA is ruled by expanded immigration guidelines, with purposes topic to refusal based mostly on prior prison convictions, immigration breaches, deception, unpaid NHS expenses, or litigation money owed. Notably, a earlier UK visa refusal or cancellation of an ETA may additionally lead to ineligibility. The ETIAS will conduct automated checks towards EU safety databases to evaluate danger however is much less prescriptive in regards to the detailed grounds for refusal compared to the UK mannequin.
Lastly, authorized implications following a refusal differ: a refusal of an ETA doesn’t represent a refusal of UK entry, however travellers should then apply for a Commonplace Customer visa or Artistic Employee visa, each of which require extra detailed evaluation. Equally, an ETIAS refusal doesn’t forestall an individual from making use of for a Schengen visa, however the next stage of scrutiny will apply.
Briefly, whereas each techniques purpose to boost border safety and handle visa-free journey, the UK ETA displays a extra layered and discretionary strategy throughout the UK’s evolving immigration framework. ETIAS, against this, is designed to streamline safety screening throughout a multilateral bloc whereas sustaining harmonised entry requirements throughout collaborating European nations.
4. A Frequent Goal: Strengthening Borders By Pre-Journey Screening
Whereas the UK ETA and EU ETIAS differ in scope and implementation, they’re united by a shared goal: to strengthen border safety by enhanced pre-travel authorisation mechanisms. Each techniques are a part of a rising international pattern in the direction of the digitalisation of immigration management, aimed toward enhancing the flexibility of governments to evaluate and handle dangers earlier than travellers arrive on the border.
By requiring advance authorisation from visa-exempt nationals, each ETA and ETIAS assist to determine inadmissible people at an earlier stage, thereby supporting nationwide and regional efforts to fight safety threats, immigration abuse, and public well being dangers. On the similar time, these techniques provide the potential to streamline authentic journey for low-risk passengers, easing stress on immigration officers and enabling extra environment friendly border processing.
The introduction of ETA and ETIAS displays a broader worldwide transfer in the direction of pre-clearance fashions, as seen in comparable techniques similar to the US ESTA (Digital System for Journey Authorization) and Canada’s eTA. As international mobility will increase and extra jurisdictions search to steadiness openness with safety, digital journey authorisation schemes are poised to turn into a typical characteristic of visa-free journey worldwide.
5. Getting ready for ETA and ETIAS Necessities
With the UK Digital Journey Authorisation (ETA) scheme now totally in drive, many visa-exempt nationals are required to acquire authorisation earlier than travelling to the UK. In contrast, the European Union’s ETIAS scheme has not but been applied and is presently anticipated to launch in late 2026.
In case you are planning to go to the UK, it’s important to verify whether or not you’re topic to the ETA requirement. Whereas the ETA isn’t a visa, it’s a obligatory pre-travel clearance for eligible travellers and have to be obtained upfront of departure. Failure to safe the right authorisation might lead to being denied boarding or refused entry on the UK border.
At Richmond Chambers, we concentrate on UK immigration legislation. For those who require help with a UK ETA software, have been refused an ETA and wish to use for a UK visa, or would love recommendation in your eligibility to journey to the UK, contact our immigration barristers on 0203 617 9173 or full our enquiry kind.
