PETALING JAYA: Malaysians will be among the citizens from 48 countries who will need Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the United Kingdom starting Wednesday (Jan 8).

“Malaysians travelling to the United Kingdom will be required to present an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from Jan 8.

“Applications may be submitted from Nov 27, 2024,” according to the Foreign Ministry.

Other countries that require ETAs include Singapore, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

According to the UK government website, each ETA application costs £10 (RM56) which will allow multiple entries into the country. There will be no refunds.

Everyone travelling to the United Kingdom needs an ETA, including babies and children.

However, those with a visa or permission to live, work or study in the United Kingdom do not need an ETA.

The ETA is an advance travel permission required from foreign nationals who intend to visit or transit the United Kingdom without a visa.

The system, as part of the country’s Nationality and Borders Act 2022, operates using an online application whose information is checked against security databases.

If the system does not find adverse information about the applicant, the travel authorisation is granted automatically.