UK ETA travel permit: British dual nationals flag issues with application system
The UK’s Digital Journey Authorisation (ETA) system has formally expanded to European travellers.
Beginning 2 April 2025, all EU (besides Irish nationals), EEA, and Swiss residents want ETA approval to enter the UK.
The system turned necessary for travellers from the US, Canada and Australia on 8 January 2025, following its rollout final November for nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
To acquire the visa waiver, which prices £10 (€12) from at present or £16 (€19) from 9 April, travellers want to finish a web based course of – however some British residents with twin nationality are already flagging points.
The right way to apply for the UK’s ETA visa waiver
Travellers can both use the official cellular app, which could be downloaded from the UK authorities web site, or apply on-line right here.
To finish the appliance, you want the passport you will be travelling on, an e-mail handle and a bank card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. You’ll have to reply a set of suitability questions. You needn’t enter your journey particulars.
The federal government advises making use of a minimum of three working days earlier than your journey.
You’ll be able to delete the app if you’ve completed making use of. Your ETA will probably be linked to your passport digitally, and you’ll not want to indicate anything if you enter the UK.
Although it appears fairly easy, the appliance course of has left a handful of British twin nationals confused about whether or not they should apply for the visa waiver or not.
ETA utility points for British twin nationals
In idea, British residents with twin nationality don’t want ETA and may be capable to journey to the UK on no matter passport they select.
However confusion has arisen for individuals who don’t have a British passport as a result of theirs is expired, misplaced, or they have been by no means issued with one.
In the event that they select to journey on their EU passport, the method of making use of for ETA – and whether or not it’s essential – stays unclear.
The ETA utility kind asks travellers to declare every other nationalities, however the drop-down menu doesn’t give the choice to pick out ‘British citizen’.
Ought to British twin nationals proceed with their utility with out declaring their ‘secondary’ nationality, they’d theoretically be compelled to present misinformation about their twin nationality.
Euronews Journey posed the query to an ETA advisor from the Dwelling Workplace on their net chat.
The advisor refused to present steering about not declaring British nationality on the ETA kind. They acknowledged that if you’re a twin citizen with British/Irish citizenship, you don’t want an ETA.
Nonetheless, “you show your permission to journey utilizing your legitimate British/Irish passport or different passport containing a certificates of entitlement to the correct of abode within the UK.”
When requested what to do if the traveller just isn’t in possession of any of those paperwork, the advisor responded, “You both want to use for a British passport or a certificates of entitlement”.
Renewing a UK passport from abroad prices £101 (€123), whereas a certificates of entitlement comes with a £550 (€658) payment. Each utility processes take a number of weeks.
Euronews Journey has reached out to the Dwelling Workplace for official steering.
