Paris: March 2025 onwards citizens of the European Union need more than just their passport to visit the United Kingdom. French and other EU nationals will have to apply for a travel authorisation online or something like an e-visa before they can travel to the UK.

Until now travelling to the United Kingdom was a piece of cake for citizens of EU member states. Early next year on, it will not be that simple. Visitors from 83 countries, including France, will soon have to apply in advance for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), an electronic visa, to be able to visit the island. 

This Visa requirement for the UK  has already been set up for certain countries of the Gulf such as Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain.

“This decision is part of the post-Brexit reforms aimed at strengthening border security and managing migration flows more effectively,” the British Home Office states on its website. Inspired by the already existing Visa systems in the United States such as the ESTA ( Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) or the system in  Australia, this approach will be mandatory for all short-term visitors who do not currently need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Babies, children and travellers in transit will also be affected by the new rules. Only citizens of the British Isles and Irish citizens will not be affected.

The visa application platform will be open from 27 November 2024 for non-EU citizens. They will have until 8 January 2025 to complete their application. For nationals of European Union countries, the implementation of this new system will take place in six months.

Registration of applications will open on 2 March 2025 on an application and on a site opened by the UK government. Before the paperwork begins early 2025 for EU nationals, the system will remain the same: a passport is required, the EU identity card no longer being sufficient since 2021 and since the Brexit.

Travelers seeking an ETA will need to follow several steps. They will need to provide their contact details and passport information, submit a photograph and answer a series of questions. The ETA application will take between 48 and 72 hours to process and will cost £10, or around €12. The permit will be valid for two years, or until the holder’s passport expires. It will allow them to stay in the country for up to six months at a time.

According the UK  authorities, this document should make it possible to streamline entries into the country since the traveler will not have to present his passport at the border. It does, however, address security issues since it will include personal and biometric data such as fingerprints.

The question is whether this administrative requirement will not further hamper tourism to the United Kingdom. The country attracted 38 million visitors in 2023 compared to 40.9 million in 2019.

The European Union on the other hand will also set up a travel authorisation system by 2025. The “European Travel Information and Authorisation System” or ETIAS is not a visa either. It is also an electronic travel authorization that will allow entry into 29 European countries that are members of the Schengen area.

Citizens of the United Kingdom will therefore also have to submit a prior application to be able to travel to France or elsewhere in the Schengen zone.