Europeans will need a permit to travel to the UK from Wednesday

Europeans will need to have permission to travel to the UK from Wednesday, and this procedure can be completed online by paying a fee of 12 euros, and from April 9, 19 euros.

An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is required before travelling to the UK and is valid for two years. It can be obtained via the UK ETA app or, failing that, on the UK government website, gov.uk.

That approval was already required for visitors from non-European Union (EU) countries who were exempt from visas to enter the country.

Similar to the ESTA for entry into the United States of America (USA), the ETA is intended to strengthen border security, the British government said earlier.

From Wednesday, citizens of around 30 European countries, including all EU countries except Ireland, will need to have that approval to enter the UK, which left the EU in 2020.

The approval will cost 10 pounds (about 12 euros), but from April 9 it will be 16 pounds (about 19 euros).

The applicant should have a passport photo and another photo of their face.

The procedure takes less than ten minutes, and travel authorization, digitally linked to the passport, is usually issued within moments, according to the British Home Office.

However, the government recommends that this procedure be done at least three days in advance because in some, albeit rare, cases, additional verification is required.

An ETA allows you to stay in the UK for up to six months. It allows for unlimited travel for two years. The permit must be renewed if you change your passport.

The permit is mandatory for citizens of around 50 countries and territories, including the US, Canada and Australia. The system was launched in 2023, initially for citizens of Qatar, before being expanded to other Gulf countries.

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, around 2024 million ETA approvals have been issued by the end of 1,1.

The British government explains this measure by the need to "secure borders by digitizing the immigration system."