The government announced the list of nationalities that will soon be able to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) as part of a new Statement of Changes.

Key Points:

• The Statement of Changes published further information for travelers to register under the ETA system.
• The ETA National List outlines the expansion of the ETA scheme in two phases:
• Eligible non-European nationals will be able to apply for an ETA beginning Nov. 27, 2024, and can travel with an ETA starting Jan. 8, 2025.
• Eligible European nationals will be able to apply for an ETA beginning March 5, 2025, and can travel with an ETA starting April 2, 2025.

Additional Information: As part of the Statement of Changes, the government also announced the revocation of visa-exempt status for nationals of Jordan. Jordanian nationals are no longer allowed to apply for an ETA and now require a visa prior to traveling to the U.K. As BAL previously reported, the ETA pilot program originally launched Oct. 25, 2023, for Qatari nationals. The ETA is a prescreening system for visa-free foreign nationals to obtain digital permission for travel or transit through the U.K. Under the ETA system, visitors will be allowed to stay in the U.K. for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or study, or three months under the creative worker visa concession.

BAL Analysis: Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia traveling to the U.K. can now apply for an ETA through the U.K. ETA app. Further nationalities will soon become subject to ETA, and employees and employers should be aware of the upcoming changes and prepare now for travel or transit through the United Kingdom.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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