Malaysians have always been able to visit the United Kingdom without a visa, but that will soon change with the implementation of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Earlier this week, the UK government announced an expansion to its ETA programme to include Malaysian travellers, which will be imposed starting from 8 January 2025.

Currently, you can travel to the UK for tourism without a visa for up to six months, and while the ETA does offer similar benefits, it does add some friction as you will need to apply for it before your journey. Once you obtained the digital authorisation, however, it will be linked to your passport and you will be able to visit the UK for tourism, business purposes, or short-term studying for up to six months over two years or until your passport expires — whichever is sooner.

But that’s not all. For other purposes, you will still need to apply for an ETA if you are going to the UK with a Creative Worker visa, going for a permitted paid engagement, or just transiting through the country (even if you don’t need to go through the UK border control).

Malaysians can start applying for the ETA from 27 November 2024 through the UK ETA app. It costs GBP10 (~RM56) to apply and if you are travelling in a group, every individual needs to get an ETA, including babies and children. The results will be sent to your email within three working days, although it can sometimes take longer.

(Source: GOV.UK)

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