LONDON – The UK’s electronic travel authorization (ETA) scheme has opened for Gulf Cooperation Council and Jordanian nationals who are traveling to the UK from February 22nd.
According to an official press release, the expansion of the scheme follows the successful launch for Qataris, who have been able to benefit since October 2023, with most applying using the UK ETA mobile app.
The recently launched authorization replaces electronic visa waivers (EVW) and removes the visa requirement for short stays to the UK for Gulf and Jordanian nationals.
After the fresh development, nationals of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan can now make unlimited visits to the UK over a 2-year period, or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner, for just £10.
Previously, Gulf nationals paid £30 through the electronic visa waiver scheme and Jordanians paid £115 for a single-use visitor visa.
The Home Office said in a statement that Gulf visitors are highly valuable to the UK economy, with almost 800,000 Gulf visitors spending £2 billion during their stays in the UK in 2022.
‘The ETA is part of the UK government’s transformation and digitisation of the UK border and immigration system, enabling an increasingly seamless customer experience in the future for legitimate visitors. Ensuring robust security checks on every visitor pre-travel enables us to bolster the security of the UK border, prevent abuse and keep our communities safe,’ it said.
On the launch of the authorization, Home Secretary, James Cleverly said that ETA will improve the experience of traveling to the UK for the thousands of visitors from the Gulf and Jordan, who represent the UK’s second-largest tourism market and contribute billions to the UK economy.
It is to be highlighted that the application process for an ETA is simple and fast to complete, with the process being entirely digital via a mobile phone app.
To apply, applicants need to provide biographic and biometric details and answer questions on suitability and criminality. Once individuals have successfully applied, their ETA is digitally linked to their passports and the final decisions will usually be made within 3 working days, though the majority of the cases are decided within hours.
It is to be clarified that other nationalities cannot and do not need to apply yet and timings for when the scheme opens for them will be confirmed in due course.
