The UK has introduced an Electronic Travel Authorisation to visitors from the EU on 2nd April 2025

The UK has introduced an Electronic Travel Authorisation for EU citizens from 2nd April. This is similar to the USA's ESTA and the Schengen area's proposed ETIAS and costs £16 from 9th April. The ETA had already been introduced for visitors to the UK from all countries other than the EU earlier in the year and the last part of the roll-out of the ETA, on 2nd April, now means all non exempt travellers require an ETA to enter the UK.

The ETA should be applied for at least three days before travel to allow time for processing. An ETA is required for all non-British or Irish passport holders including babies and children who come from a "visa waiver" country. The ETA is NOT required for:

- holders of a current (ie non-expired) British passport

- holders of an Irish passport

- those who live in Ireland and are travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man

- travellers coming frpm a country for which a visa is required and who hold a valid visa

- those who have right to remain (the UK's equivalent of the WARP card)

- for children travelling on the France-UK school trip travel information form

- where the entry into a UK airport is for transit to another destination only AND the traveller remains "airside" (i.e. does not pass through passport control).

The British authorities have issued a fact sheet setting out relevant details about the ETA and how to apply for one - Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) fact sheet – 2 April 2025 – Home Office in the media

Although this will not affect British citizens resident in the EU if they travel into the UK on their current British passport, it will affect those EU-resident Britons who have spouses or children who do not have British nationality or a British passport.  

For dual nationals, the UK government advice is as follows (source: British Embassy Paris):

• Dual citizens with British or Irish citizenship do not need an ETA.
• We recommend that all British citizens travel on a valid British passport to avoid unnecessary delays at the border. UK passports can be renewed at GOV.UK.
• As an alternative to travelling with a valid British passport, British dual citizens can evidence their citizenship in another passport by obtaining a certificate of entitlement on GOV.UK.
• We recognise that the introduction of the ETA is a substantial change for British dual citizens of ETA eligible nationalities, and they are currently permitted to travel on their non-British passport while the scheme is being implemented.
• In the future, all dual British citizens will need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement to avoid delays at the border. We will make it clear when this change will be enforced.

The certificate of entitlement mentioned above costs £550 (price in January 2025) so it will almost certainly be cheaper to apply for a British or Irish passport instead. To find out more about application for a certificate of entitlement, visit the GOV.uk website https://www.gov.uk/right-of-abode/apply-for-a-certificate-of-entitlement.

To find out more about how the ETA application applies, go to the GOV.UK website.

In the other direction of travel, the Schengen area, covering most EU countries, will be introducing the Entry/Exit System towards the end of 2025 and also the ETIAS travel authorisation expected to be introduced in the last quarter of 2026. These will affect all British nationals (other than double nationals and those with EU residency) by introducing additional formalities when entering the Schengen area.

‍