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The United Kingdom has added itself to the growing list of countries introducing a fee for Aussie travellers wanting to enter its borders. The UK introduced its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme late last year, which was only required for travellers from several Middle Eastern countries.
That scheme has now been expanded to include dozens more nations, including Australia, the US, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Norway and Japan. The fee attached to the ETA is £10, which works out to be roughly AUD$19.60.
ETA applications will open on November 27 but won’t be needed unless you’re travelling to the UK after January 8 next year.
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“The worldwide expansion of the ETA demonstrates our commitment to enhance security through new technology and embedding a modern immigration system,” UK Minister for Migration and Citizenship Seema Malhotra said in a statement.
You can sign up for an ETA using the UK government’s phone app or through their website and every person coming into the country will need an ETA, including children and babies.
Aussies will need to upload a picture of their passport and answer personal questions to get approved for an ETA. This information will be checked against security databases and the whole process takes up to three days to complete.
Having an ETA will allow Aussies to stay in the UK for up to six months at a time and have multiple visits over two years or until the person’s passport expires.
The UK will expand the ETA scheme next year to include all countries in the European Union (EU) as well as Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Vatican City, Monaco and San Marino. Ireland will be exempt from the UK’s ETA system.
Those nations will be able to apply for an ETA from March 5 for entry to the UK from April 2.
Aussies will soon have to pay to visit the EU
The UK’s ETA is similar to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) announced this year.
The cost of applying for the ETIAS will be about $11.50 and it will be valid for three years or until your passport expires.
Thirty EU countries will require Aussies to have an ETIAS, however, travellers under 18 and those above 70 won’t be charged.
According to SmartTraveller, the ETIAS is expected to start in mid-late 2025.
“It’s not going to have a huge impact on people traveling to Europe because of the scale of it but it is another tax that people have to pay when travelling,” Australian Travel Industry Association CEO Dean Long explained to Yahoo Finance.
Japan is also set to launch a new system that requires international travellers, including Australians, to fill out an outline form before entry into the country.
The cost is yet to be confirmed, with the Japanese government only recently announcing the plan with the scheme due to roll out in 2030.
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