From 2024, the United Kingdom will begin to require visitors to Spain, the United Arab Emirates and all countries that do not require entry visas, including those from the European Union (EU), to obtain an Electronic Travel Permit, the agency announced Thursday.
For now, the United Kingdom will begin requiring visitors from Qatar to obtain electronic permits before traveling from Oct. 25.
As of February 2024, citizens of Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will also apply.
Next year, the rest of the world, which do not require visas to visit the United Kingdom, will join the program, a group that, in addition to Spain and other European countries, includes the countries of Latin America. such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay.
An Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will be required for travel, business visits and students whose stay in the country will be less than six months. The British government has not yet published the cost of the electronic authorization, which will be valid for two years and will be used for several entries into the country.
There will be no exceptions to facilitate travel
To apply for a license, it will be necessary to send an electronic card or application that allows the authorities to register biometric data, and answer some questions about the travel plans. The British government estimates that the authorizations will be issued in about three working days, with the majority of them expected to receive the green light before that time. London does not plan to incorporate exceptions to facilitate unexpected business travel in the absence of an electronic entry permit.
On the other hand, those who do not need an entry permit will be Europeans who reside in the country before Brexit and have a “permanently settled” status in the United Kingdom, nor legal residents in the Republic of Ireland.
A reciprocal measure by the EU
The EU, for its part, is also launching plans for a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) in 2024, which will allow Britons and tourists from visa-free countries to pay up to seven coins per pre-entry permit, which will be valid. three years
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