Starting January 8, 2025, citizens of 49 nations with visa-free access to the UK for up to six months — including HKSAR and BN(O) passport holders — need to apply for a special permit to enter the country. Eligible passport holders must get this new permit, called an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), to visit England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Which countries need an ETA?
The new requirement is meant to digitise the UK’s immigration and border system, and first opened to citizens of six Middle Eastern countries last year: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Nationals of the following countries, regions and territories need to get their ETAs to visit the UK from today, for which applications opened on November 27, 2024.
| 1. Antigua and Barbuda | 18. Israel | 35. Peru |
| 2. Argentina | 19. Japan | 36. Samoa |
| 3. Australia | 20. Kiribati | 37. Seychelles |
| 4. The Bahamas | 21. Macau | 38. Singapore |
| 5. Barbados | 22. Malaysia | 39. Solomon Islands |
| 6. Belize | 23. Maldives | 40. South Korea |
| 7. Botswana | 24. Marshall Islands | 41. St Kitts and Nevis |
| 8. Brazil | 25. Mauritius | 42. St Lucia |
| 9. Brunei | 26. Mexico | 43. St Vincent and the Grenadines |
| 10. Canada | 27. Federated States of Micronesia | 44. Taiwan |
| 11. Chile | 28. Nauru | 45. Tonga |
| 12. Colombia | 29. New Zealand | 46. Trinidad and Tobago |
| 13. Costa Rica | 30. Nicaragua | 47. Tuvalu |
| 14. Grenada | 31. Palau | 48. United States |
| 15. Guatemala | 32. Panama | 49. Uruguay |
| 16. Guyana | 33. Papua New Guinea | |
| 17. Hong Kong | 34. Paraguay |
The third and final phase of the ETA initiative will begin on April 2, 2025, when nationals of 34 European countries — including Germany, France, and Spain — will need this authorisation to enter the UK. Applications for these countries will open from March 5. Travellers from Ireland do not need an ETA.
How much will the ETA cost?
Each ETA costs £10 (HK$97), is valid for two years, and can be used for multiple trips into the UK during this time. Travellers can apply for the document on the ETA app, for which they will need their original passport, an email address, and a bank card or mobile payment services like Apply Pay and Google Pay.
The application process takes about 10 minutes, and requires applicants to upload or take pictures of their passport and themselves. ETAs are usually issued within three working days, and can be used for tourism, visiting family and friends, business, short-term study, and transit even for travellers who do not go through border control. The authorisation is not a visa and does not guarantee entry to the UK.
Do other countries have ETAs?
The UK’s ETA is similar to the ETIAS permit that nationalities of 60 countries and territories — including Hong Kong — need to get to enter all Schengen countries and three other European nations from 2025. The ETIAS, which is granted to passport holders who have visa-free access for short-term visits to these countries, will be valid for three years and can be used for several trips.
Other countries for which HKSAR and BN(O) passport holders require electronic travel authorisation include Canada, Australia, and South Korea. There are reports that Thailand is planning to introduce a free ETA in 2025, and that Japan may implement a similar measure by 2030.
Image credits: sborisov via Canva
