Listen up, everyone: if you’re travelling to the UK sometime this year, there are two new schemes you need to read up on to make sure your trip runs smoothly – the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
Both these schemes mean changes to entry rules and visa requirements, and while that might sound a little confusing, we’ve compiled a guide that includes everything you need to know about how and where these schemes will be implemented, and what you need to do to apply. Read on for all the info.
stands for Entry/Exit System, and once implemented, will mean that people travelling from non-EU countries for a short stay (90 days or less) into the EU will be digitally monitored each time they cross the Schengen border, having their travel history recorded. According to the EU website, this ‘modernises border management by increasing efficiency and quality of processes at the border’.
If this is you, and you’re travelling from the UK to the EU or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland (the non-EU Schengen countries) you can read our guide here.
, which stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation, will be required from anyone heading to the UK for a short stay who won’t be travelling under another visa, such as EU citizens taking a two-week holiday in the UK (but due to the Common Travel Area, this excludes Irish Citizens).
This permits travel to the UK multiple times within a two-year period (again, unless your passport expires), and there’s a guide on if you can get an ETA here.
Non-European citizens have needed an ETA to enter the UK since January 8, 2025, and this will be expanded to include European nationals from April 2, who can apply from March 5. You can find out more and submit your application here.
It costs £10 (€12) to apply, and unlike the ETIAS needed to enter the Schengen area, that applies to everyone – babies, children and those over the age of 70 need their own ETAs.
The fastest way to apply for an ETA is by downloading the app (which can be done from the App Store or Google Play), though it’s also possible to apply online.
You’ll need your physical passport (not a photocopy or image), email access and a credit or debit card (Apple and Google pay should also work). You will also need to upload a photo of yourself and your passport, though those are the only travel details needed.
It’s likely a decision will be made within three working days, and while you need to have applied before travelling to the UK, it’s okay to arrive while the decision is still being made, according to the UK Government website.
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