London, Sept. 10, 2024 (Lusa) - Portuguese nationals wishing to visit the UK from April 2025 will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), a document that will become compulsory for all European Union citizens who are not also UK nationals, the British government announced on Tuesday.
The system will entail registering personal and biometric data digitally in advance, via an app, and paying a fee of £10 (€12).
Authorisation can take up to three days and will be valid for two years, during which time multiple visits to the UK of up to six months can be made.
After a trial phase with some Arab countries that started in 2023, the system is to be extended to all foreign nationals who do not need a prior visa for short stays.
Visitors from non-European countries such as the US, Brazil, Macau or Argentina will be able to apply from 27 November and will have to have an ETA from 8 January.
Tourists from EU countries, including Portugal, will be able to apply from 5 March, and an ETA will be compulsory for visits to the UK from 2 April 2025.
UK nationals living abroad are exempt, as are foreign nationals living in the Republic of Ireland, which forms part of a common travel area with the UK.
Applications for an ETA may be rejected on the basis of a criminal record or a risk, for example, of terrorism.
The UK's Home Office said on Tuesday that the measure is part of moves to digitise the country's border and immigration system.
"Digitalisation allows for a smooth experience for the millions of people who cross the border every year," the home secretary, Seema Malhotra, was quoted in a statement as saying.
The system does not apply to holders of UK residence permits, such as those enrolled in the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) that was created after Brexit, or to holders of work or student visas.
The UK system is similar to that used by countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) that the European Union aims to have in place by the first half of next year.
BM/ARO // ARO.
Lusa
