European travelers visiting the UK without a visa will soon be required
to pay a £10 (around $13) waiver fee.
The new rules, which will come into effect over the next year, will see
the UK’s electronic travel authorization (ETA) system, first introduced
for Qatar nationals, expanded to include travelers from all other
countries, including European Union citizens.
The non-refundable fee will apply to all visitors to the UK, including
babies and children, without a visa, or permission to live, work or
study, according to plans announced by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
At present, citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and
the United Arab Emirates are required to apply for an ETA before
entering the UK.
This will be extended to include most other nationals, including those
from the US but excluding Europeans, in November. By next spring, the
program will be expanded again to incorporate European nationals.
“Once fully rolled out, the ETA scheme will close the current gap in
advance permissions and mean that for the first time, we will have a
comprehensive understanding of those traveling to the UK,” Cooper said
in a statement.
Jordanian nationals can no longer apply for an ETA to enter the UK,
according to the UK government website.
Visa waiver schemes are certainly not a new thing. The United States’
electronic travel authorization ESTA, which now costs $21 and lasts two
years, was first introduced back in 2009.
Meanwhile, the roll out of the European Union’s ETIAS, valid for three
years, which will cost travelers 7 euros (about $7.50,) has been
postponed to 2025.
The UK formally left the European Union in January 2020.