Visitors to the UK will need to pay £10 to change at Heathrow from next year: Here’s what you need to know
From next year, all visa-exempt passengers travelling to the UK, or through airports such as London Heathrow, will have to pay a £10 charge and wait up to three days for a permit, as the government significantly expands the scope of a new scheme.
It was announced on Tuesday that the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) would be opened to nearly all other countries.
The previous government initially rolled it out for several Middle Eastern countries in November.
Much like the US’s ESTA system, the ETA will be digitally linked to the traveller’s passport. It will allow multiple journeys to the UK for up to six months at a time over a two-year span or until the passport in question expires—whichever comes first.
The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, stressed that the ETA will apply to all nationals except EU citizens from 8 January 2025, and European nationals will be required to pay from 2 April 2025.
She also announced that from next Tuesday, Jordanians may no longer enter the UK with an ETA due to breaches of visitor rules and “high rates of refusals at the border due to people travelling without the intention of visiting for a permitted purpose”.
However, those who have already paid their ETA’s for upcoming travel have been given a month-long grace period.
The government has argued that the ETA will drastically improve border security by facilitating, as Cooper said, “a comprehensive understanding of those travelling to the UK”.
She added that the decision will prevent the abuse of our immigration system by “closing the gap in advance permissions.”
Heathrow Airport is the UK’s busiest transit hub.
It facilitates 30 per cent of connecting traffic and the ETA requirement could push potential travellers to travel through airports that offer free transit outside of the UK instead.
You can apply or find information about ETA eligibility on the UK ETA app or on the website.