SINGAPORE: The United Kingdom announced that it would be introducing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system on Jan 8 for travellers from 48 countries, including Singapore. Applying for an ETA costs £10 (S$17).
Even if your travels don’t take you to the UK, a flight connection through any of its airports would require you to apply and pay for an ETA.
Otherwise, travellers without one won’t be allowed to enter the transit area through passport control. Likewise, if you’re taking the train from another European country or are arriving by boat, you’ll still need an ETA.
The ETA is the new digital registration scheme for travellers who don’t need a visa to enter the UK. The scheme is not a visa but is actually a visa waiver, which means that visitors from countries that require a visa to enter the UK still need to do so but won’t need an additional ETA.
Valid for two years, an ETA allows for multiple short entries to the UK lasting less than six months, for business and tourism. Those who are embarking on short-term study courses or legally paid engagements need other types of ETAs, which can be found on the official site.
An ETA, however, is digitally linked to a person’s current passport. If your passport expires while your ETA is still valid, you’ll need to apply for a new one.
Applying for an ETA may be done through an official app or on the UK government website. It’s best to do so through these channels and not through a third-party website to avoid paying extra fees and, perhaps more importantly, to ensure your personal data stays private.
The application may take up to three business days to process, but the actual application can be accomplished in as fast as three minutes on the app, which is available for both Android and iPhone users.
It involves the applicant uploading a picture of their passport, scanning and taking a picture of themselves as they apply, and filling in answers about one’s travel plans.
On the site, CNN reports that it takes around 20 minutes but cautions that the application process needs to be completed in one go. In other words, the website does not allow applicants to save the answers they’ve filled in and then come back to them at a later time. /TISG
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