Certain drivers on UK roads must carry new mandatory document 'starting today'
New travel rules launching today could require certain drivers to obtain visas. From today, non-European visitors to the UK will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the country, according to the Home Office.
The new requirements mean tourists will have to gain permission to enter the country as part of plans to fully digitise its borders by 2025. The UK opened pre-travel applications to all eligible non-Europeans on 27 November. The permit will be required for these travellers from 8 January.
This includes six million citizens from the US, Canada and Australia. The Home Office began rolling out the scheme last November for nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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The changes will impact all tourists, business travellers, and crucially, lorry drivers although British and Irish citizens are exempt from the ETA requirement. Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP, said: "This expansion of ETA is a significant step forward in delivering a border that’s efficient and fit for the digital age.
"Through light-touch screening before people step foot in the UK, we will keep our country safe while ensuring visitors have a smooth travel experience." An ETA costs £10, permits multiple journeys, and lasts for 2 years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.
Once granted, ETAs are digitally linked to a traveller’s passport and allow for stays of up to 6 months at a time – including both short trips and more extended stays. An ETA is not a visa, it is a digital permission to travel, the Labour Party government has said.
All travellers to the UK – except British and Irish citizens – will need permission to travel in advance through either an ETA or an eVisa. Replacing physical immigration documents with eVisas lets UK visa holders use online immigration services, take control of their data and prevent against documents being lost, stolen or tampered with.