{"id":234511,"date":"2024-12-07T11:56:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T11:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/uk-2025-eta\/"},"modified":"2025-05-18T11:58:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T11:58:05","slug":"uk-2025-eta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/uk-2025-eta\/","title":{"rendered":"A Visa will be required for entry into the UK from 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><span class=\"font-377884\">A Visa will be required for entry into the UK from 2025<\/span><\/h1>\n<h3><span class=\"font-377884\"><em>From 2 April 2025, an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will be required even for short stays costing \u00a310<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_234480\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-234480\" style=\"width: 840px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Map-and-flag-of-the-United-Kingdom-Image-by-Peggy-und-Marco-Lachmann-Anke-from-Pixabay-1024x731.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-234480\" src=\"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Map-and-flag-of-the-United-Kingdom-Image-by-Peggy-und-Marco-Lachmann-Anke-from-Pixabay-1024x731.jpg\" alt=\"Map and flag of the United Kingdom Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay\" width=\"840\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Map-and-flag-of-the-United-Kingdom-Image-by-Peggy-und-Marco-Lachmann-Anke-from-Pixabay-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Map-and-flag-of-the-United-Kingdom-Image-by-Peggy-und-Marco-Lachmann-Anke-from-Pixabay-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Map-and-flag-of-the-United-Kingdom-Image-by-Peggy-und-Marco-Lachmann-Anke-from-Pixabay-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Map-and-flag-of-the-United-Kingdom-Image-by-Peggy-und-Marco-Lachmann-Anke-from-Pixabay-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Map-and-flag-of-the-United-Kingdom-Image-by-Peggy-und-Marco-Lachmann-Anke-from-Pixabay-350x250.jpg 350w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Map-and-flag-of-the-United-Kingdom-Image-by-Peggy-und-Marco-Lachmann-Anke-from-Pixabay.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-234480\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"font-377884\">Map and flag of the United Kingdom Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\"><strong>From 2 April 2025,<\/strong> citizens of the European Union, Switzerland and other visa-free countries will have to apply for an<strong> Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the UK<\/strong>, even for short stays for tourism, business or transit. The introduction of this measure, announced by the UK government, is a further step towards the stricter border management adopted after Brexit.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"font-377884\">What is the ETA and how it works<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">The ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is a new digital authorisation linked to the applicant&#8217;s passport. It is not equivalent to a traditional visa, but is a pre-check to allow travellers who do not require a full visa to enter the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Main features of the ETA<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Validity: The ETA will be valid for two years or until the associated passport expires.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Multiple entry: It will allow multiple stays of up to six months per visit.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Cost: \u00a310 (approximately CHF 11).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Cover: Will be compulsory for all visitors, including children and infants, who do not have UK immigration status or are not otherwise exempt.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">Citizens of Ireland will be excluded from the obligation due to bilateral agreements between London and Dublin.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"font-377884\">When to apply for the ETA<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\"><strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta\">ETA application can be made online<\/a> from 5 March 2025<\/strong> for European citizens, via the official UK government website or a dedicated app available on Google Play and Apple Store.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">Application requirements:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">A valid passport.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">A digital photo uploaded during the process.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Personal information and travel details.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">The UK government guarantees an average response time of around three working days.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"font-377884\">Who is exempt from the ETA<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">They will not have to apply for an ETA:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Citizens with leave to remain in the UK, including those with settled or pre-settled status recognised under the EU Settlement Scheme.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">British and Irish citizens.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"font-377884\">Why was ETA introduced?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">According to the UK Home Office, ETA will improve the efficiency and security of border controls, preventing abuse of the migration system and monitoring more precisely who enters the country. This approach reflects the UK&#8217;s desire to strengthen post-Brexit control, ending the movement privileges that EU citizens had before 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">UK PM <strong>Keir Starmer<\/strong> emphasised that the government does not intend to backtrack on the restrictions imposed by Brexit, but considers these measures necessary to ensure national security.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"font-377884\">ETA and similar systems around the world<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">The British system is reminiscent of the US ESTA and similar authorisations introduced in Canada and Australia. The European Union also plans to launch an electronic authorisation for non-European travellers by the first half of 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"font-377884\">Conclusions and practical advice<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\"><strong>From 2 April 2025<\/strong>, it will be essential to plan your travel to the UK more carefully:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months from the expected date of entry.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Apply for your ETA well in advance of departure to avoid problems or delays.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"font-377884\">Keep a digital copy of the authorisation and use the passport registered at the time of application.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"font-377884\">This new procedure represents a significant change for those used to travelling freely in the UK. However, with the right preparation, ETA will ensure a smooth travel experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"font-377884\"><strong>Please note that as of 1 October 2021, citizens of the EU and Switzerland must already be in possession of a valid passport to enter the UK. ID cards are no longer accepted as travel documents, making a passport mandatory to enter the country.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/k16trade.ch\/seqex-en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-230949 size-medium aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FullLogo_Transparent_NoBuffer-300x145.png\" alt=\"K16 TRADE &amp; CONSULTING SWITZERLAND\" width=\"300\" height=\"145\" srcset=\"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FullLogo_Transparent_NoBuffer-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FullLogo_Transparent_NoBuffer-1024x495.png 1024w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FullLogo_Transparent_NoBuffer-768x371.png 768w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FullLogo_Transparent_NoBuffer-350x169.png 350w, https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/FullLogo_Transparent_NoBuffer.png 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From 2 April 2025, an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will be required even for short stays costing \u00a310<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":234481,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[271,260,210,257,2323,792],"tags":[2505,405,2035,666,544,1092,2036],"class_list":["post-234511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-highlights","category-magazine","category-switzerland","category-tourism","category-united-kingdom","tag-documents","tag-europe","tag-passport","tag-security","tag-travel-en","tag-united-kingdom","tag-visa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234511"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235254,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234511\/revisions\/235254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swissfederalism.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}