Soon, visitors from Europe entering the UK without a visa will have to pay a £10 (about $13) waiver charge.
The UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system, which was initially established for people of Qatar, will now be open to visitors from all other nations, including citizens of the European Union, as a result of the new regulations, which go into force over the course of the following year.
According to plans published by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the non-refundable fee will be charged to all visitors to the UK, including infants and children, who do not have a valid visa or authorisation to reside, work, or study there.
Currently, in order to enter the UK, citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates must apply for an ETA.
In November, this will be expanded to cover the majority of other nationals, including US citizens but not Europeans. The program will be enlarged once more to include citizens of Europe by spring of next year.
“Once the ETA scheme is fully implemented, it will close the current gap in advance permissions and enable us to have a comprehensive understanding of those visiting the UK for the first time,” a statement from Cooper said.
The UK government website states that Jordanian nationals are no longer eligible to apply for an ETA to enter the country.
Programs that waive visa requirements are by no means novel. The electronic travel authorisation (ESTA) for the United States was originally introduced in 2009 and currently costs $21. It is valid for two years.
In the meantime, the three-year ETIAS program of the European Union, which will cost travellers 7 euros (about $7.50), has been delayed until 2025.
In January 2020, the UK formally exited the European Union.