Beginning Wednesday, the UK requires Europeans to have a travel permit.

European people traveling to the UK will require an entrance permit starting on Wednesday, a change to long-standing travel regulations that the British government claims would improve border security.

In the next days, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) will be available for purchase online for £10 (12 euros), but the cost will quickly increase from April 9 to £16.

After being implemented for US, Canadian, and other visa-exempt individuals in January, it will be required for all European travelers to Britain starting on April 2. It is comparable to the ESTA system that is in use in the US.

When the website launched for initial applications earlier this month, Migration Minister Seema Malhotra stated, “By digitizing the immigration system we are paving the way for a contactless UK border.”

“Expanding ETA worldwide cements our commitment to enhance security through technology and innovation.”

The permit is good for two years and permits visits for a maximum of six months. All travelers, including infants and children, must have it.

Since the beginning of March, Europeans have been able to use the application, which may be made via the government website or a smartphone app.

In order to enter Britain, which exited the EU in 2020, citizens of about 30 European nations—including all members of the EU save Ireland—will need to have an electronic permission starting on Wednesday.

A picture of the applicant’s face and passport must be sent. The Home Office estimates that the procedure takes about ten minutes.

An application decision is often made in a matter of minutes. Nonetheless, the government advises giving the application up to three working days.

If approved, the applicant’s passport is digitally linked to the ETA.

Following pressure from Heathrow, which feared a decline in passenger traffic connecting through Europe’s biggest airport, flight passengers passing airside without crossing the UK border are exempt from the program.

In the UK, the only airports with airside transit are Heathrow and Manchester.

In 2024, Heathrow handled about 84 million passengers, one-third of whom came from the nearby EU.