A new border requirement will impose a fee on foreigners visiting the United Kingdom.
The Nationality and Borders Bill is part of the nation's ongoing transformation of the border and immigration system, which indeed affects even short-term travelers and vacationers. With the exception of British and Irish citizens, a universal ‘permission to travel’ requirement will mean that all travelers will need permission to visit in advance. The requirement will be enforced through an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) form filled out online before travel. The cost has yet to be announced, but there will indeed be a fee associated.
The UK ETA will be available in the next few years, likely in place by the end of 2024. Once the permission to travel requirement is formalized, it will be required for all American and foreign travelers, meaning you have a little under two years to hop across the pond before the extra fees hit.
The ETA scheme, which is a British-ism for plan (or project), is attributed to the nation’s desire to have more information about people coming into or through the country.
"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.," reads the U.K. Government website. All travelers, regardless of the intent of visit (business, leisure, family visit, layover), will have to present their ETA before boarding their flight, ship or train to enter the nation.
And though the ETA scheme may sound unique or burdensome, it’s not too unlike the United State’s own Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) requirements, put in place by the Department of Homeland Security in May 2022, shortly after the requirement for a negative Covid test to enter the country was lifted. The U.S.’s ESTA currently costs $21, if that’s any indication of what the rate may be overseas.
With Brexit entering its third year, it will be interesting to see how the U.K.’s exit from the European Union continues to influence travel.