Planning
The UK ETA: the new requirement that catches a lot of people out
Going to London isn't just booking a flight any more. What the British authorisation is, who it affects and what to check before buying the ticket.
Tomás Berruezo 5 min Photo by Sylvia Szekely on Unsplash For decades, going to the United Kingdom from continental Europe was like going to France. After Brexit it stopped being that, and the country has been building its own system of advance authorisation for visitors who don't need a visa.
What it is and what it isn't
It's an electronic authorisation tied to your passport, like the American or Canadian ones: applied for online before travelling, with a fee and a validity period, and it's neither a visa nor a guarantee of entry.
What matters isn't the name of the scheme, it's the change of habit: there's now one more step between buying the ticket and boarding.
What to check before every trip
- Whether your particular case needs the authorisation, depending on nationality and reason for travel.
- Which document you can enter on, because a national ID card no longer works the way it used to for everyone.
- Whether your authorisation is still valid and tied to the passport you'll actually use.
- Whether your route stops in or passes through British territory without leaving the airport.
The second point trips up the most people, because for years an ID card was enough for EU travellers and that habit is still lodged in a lot of heads.
Ireland is not the same thing
The Republic of Ireland isn't part of the United Kingdom and has its own entry rules. And the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic is crossed by road with no visible checkpoint, which doesn't mean the rules stop applying.
The same goes for your phone at that border, and there you do see it on the bill: roaming in the United Kingdom.
What Brexit changed isn't only the queue at the airport: it's that there are now steps that didn't exist before.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK ETA?
An electronic authorisation tied to your passport, applied for online before travelling to the United Kingdom, for visitors who don't need a visa.
Can I enter the United Kingdom on a national ID card?
Not in every case any more: Brexit changed which documents are accepted. Check the official site before buying your ticket.
Does Ireland fall under the same scheme?
No. The Republic of Ireland isn't part of the United Kingdom and has its own entry rules.
What if I'm only transiting?
It depends on whether you leave the airport's international area. That's one of the things to check before booking.
