European and US business visitors to face new UK travel requirements

International companies need to start preparing for the upcoming changes in border requirements to avoid potential disruption to travel plans, a corporate immigration expert said.

The expanded ETA travel scheme involves an online application process and a £10 fee. The visa-free, digital entry permit has already been used by nationals from a number of countries, mostly in the Middle East, but the list will be expanded to include those from many other nations, whose citizens can currently travel to the UK without a visa.

Under the scheme, visitors coming to the UK for up to six months for tourism, to visit family and friends, for business or short-term studies and for certain other purposes will need to apply for an ETA before travelling to the UK. The requirement will start to apply to international travellers from countries such as the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada from 8 January 2025 and will extend to European visitors from 2 April 2025.

Corporate immigration expert Shara Pledger of Pinsent Masons called the new requirement a “major change”, as until now, “many of these travellers have needed nothing more than their passport to gain access to the UK as a visitor”.

“The new requirement will not impact those coming long-term for sponsored work or with any other type of long-term visa. The process will be low cost and should lead to very quick decisions. So the administrative burden is relatively restrained. Despite this, there is no avoiding the logistical hurdle it places in the way of travel that at present operates relatively freely. This is another reason for employers to discourage business travel, which is already under scrutiny due to cost, climate, and sustainability factors,” she said.

The UK’s ETA system is similar to the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) process that the US uses, and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) in the EU, which will expand to include UK nationals by summer 2025,

Pledger said that employers should start preparing in advance of the changes to smooth the process of business travel.

“The requirement for travel authorisation is not completely new to most international businesses. Employers should consider which of their colleagues will be moving across the UK border and when, and make preparations for ETA applications in good time before travel. The cohort of travellers needing ETA from 8 January can submit applications from 27 November, so there is no reason why pre-planned travel cannot continue smoothly,” said Pledger.

Employers should also note that not all travellers will be eligible to use ETA. Individuals with criminal convictions may have visited the UK visa-free under the current regime, but will become ineligible for ETA and need a full visa application.

“As with most things immigration-related, planning is the key, as a full visa application takes much more preparation and time than an ETA request. Where travellers know they will need to apply for a visit visa, they can plan for this, but a person who is refused ETA will need to pivot to a visit visa quite quickly, and that might impact travel plans,” said Pledger. 

According to the UK government, it usually takes three working days to get a decision following an ETA application. The ETA lasts for two years and allows travellers unlimited entries to the UK during that time. However, as the authorisation is linked to passport number, if a traveller gets a new passport, they will need to apply for a new ETA.