The UK Will Start Charging Travelers for Entry

The United Kingdom and the European Union have decided to do what the United States has been doing since 2009, charging visitors for electronic travel authorization.

Earlier this year, the UK said starting in 2024, visa-free travelers will have to have an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which will require all visitors—excluding British and Irish citizens–to obtain permission and pay a fee before entering the country.

In March, the U.K. government shared the cost of the permit, which will be 10£ (or about $12.50 USD). The United States has been charging visitors for electronic travel authorization since 2009, CNN reported.

The ETA “will permit multiple journeys and be valid for two years or until the holder’s passport expires—whichever is sooner,” and the cost of it is “competitive and comparable with similar international schemes by international partners.”

Applicants will be asked to provide their basic personal information, travel details, passport data, email address, and answer some security information when applying for an ETA. The UK expects the process to take 48 to 72 hours and will be electronically linked to the passport travelers apply with.

Visitors will be allowed to spend up to 180 days in the U.K. and visit any part of the country once the ETA is approved, Afar reported. The plan is for the scheme to be rolled out for people who don’t require a visa to enter the United Kingdom – including US and EU nationals by the end of next year, with the first nation to join the scheme being Qatar later this year.

The rest of the world can expect to see it by the end of next year.

“The scheme will give the U.K. more control of our borders, allowing us to block threats from entering the U.K., whilst also providing individuals, and carriers, with more assurance at an earlier point in time about their ability to travel to the U.K.,” the government said.

The ETA differs from a visa, it’s digital permission to enter the U.K.