A major travel change for Australians travelling to the UK, including babies and children, has just come into effect.
From 8 January, people will need to apply for an electronic entry permit called the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which will be valid for multiple trips of up to six months over two years, or less if the participant’s passport expires.
It costs £10 ($20), but doesn’t guarantee entry into the UK and is not refundable.
The application has to be approved before passengers can board a flight, but should be processed within several hours, according to the UK government.
The UK was the fifth most popular destination for people leaving Australia in 2023-24, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with over 600,000 flights booked.
Travellers from the Middle East have been required to apply for the ETA for two years, and now travellers from the US, Canada and other non-European countries will also be required to apply.
EU citizens will have to apply from April 2025.
In a statement last September, the UK government said digitising its border entry would help to prevent abuse of the immigration system.
The statement said the new system is in line with countries like Australia.
The ETAs have been introduced to replace the UK’s former Electronic Visa Waiver scheme and people who need a UK visa to live, work or study in the UK are now issued with an eVisa.
ETAs can be applied for through an app or the ETA website.
There are a number of exceptions for travellers who don’t need an ETA including people who have an approved visa, British, Irish or British Overseas Territory citizens or those with permissions to live, work, or study in the UK.
From 1 May 2025, Australians travelling to Europe’s Schengen Area will need to apply for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) visa waiver.
The ETIAS process requires travellers to complete an online form and pay a €7 ($11.7) fee for a three-year authorisation or until their passport expires.
