When will they start requesting the ETA electronic permit and how much does it cost?

If you are thinking of traveling to the United Kingdom in a few months, you have to know that the government has already set the date in which the request will begin electronic travel authorization (electronic travel authorisationor travel permit). And the Argentines We are part of the nationalities that will require obtaining this document to enter, in addition to having a valid passport.

This issue of the “electronic travel authorization” (ETA) is part of the British government’s objective to digitize the immigration and border system.

This means, as the statement published on the official website (www.gov.uk) says, that “everyone who wants to travel to the United Kingdom (except British and Irish citizens) They will need a permit before arriving. This can be through an ETA or an eVisa.”

“Digitalization enables a seamless experience for the millions of people who cross the border each year, including the visitors we warmly welcome to the UK and who are expected to contribute more than 32 billion pounds to our tourism economy this year,” said the Minister of Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, according to the official statement.

The official confirmation is now:

• from the November 27, 2024eligible non-Europeans (such as Argentinian travelers) can apply for an ETA and will need an ETA to travel from January 8, 2025.

• the ETA will then be extended to the Europeans eligible as of March 5, 2025, who will need an ETA to travel. starting April 2, 2025.

The travel permit or ETA is digitally linked to a traveler’s passport “and ensure that stricter security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the United Kingdom, which helps prevent abuse of our immigration system,” they point out in the official communication.

The ETA costs 10 pounds (about 13 dollars)

The travel permit allows you to do multiple trips to the United Kingdom and lasts 2 years or until the passport expireswhichever comes first.

This means that if you obtained the ETA and in the middle you renew the passport… you will have to obtain a new ETA if you travel frequently to the United Kingdom

All information is available at gov.uk

“Anyone who needs to apply for an ETA will be able to do so through a quick and easy process using the UK ETA app.”

Before starting the process, you must have on hand:

• the passport with which you will travel (a photocopy is not useful)

• access to your electronic mail (email)

• a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay

They will ask you to upload or take photos of:

• face of the person who applies

Information: no information related to the trip is requested.

The ETA is the same style of digital permit that the European Union announced several years ago, called ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System).

Announced before the pandemic, its start-up was postponed and there is still no specific date for its entry into force.

On the official site, a legend states: “ETIAS is not currently operational and no applications are being collected at this time“.

In the FAQ section, regarding when it will come into effect, the response states that it is expected to “be operational from the first half of 2025“.