From January next year, Guyanese and other nationals who currently enjoy visa-free travel to the United Kingdom (UK) will be required to have an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before visiting the country.
Last year, the British Government introduced the ETA requirement for travelers, who do not require a visa to travel to the UK.
Based on information shared by the British High Commission in Georgetown, an ETA is a digital permission to travel and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over a two-year period or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.
The UK diplomatic office said, “[The ETA] is being introduced to deliver a more streamlined, digital immigration system.”
An ETA costs just over G$2740 (£10).
It was noted that effective, January 8, 2024, all Caribbean nations, who currently do not require a visa to travel to the UK will require an ETA for travel to the UK.
Eligible persons can start applying for an ETA in advance from November 27, 2024.
Applications are available via the UK ETA app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play or Apple app store. It is also available on the UK Government’s official website at: gov.uk
Based on international reports, the ETA scheme was first rolled out in November 2023 and was initially for travellers from Qatar. In February of this year, it was extended to travellers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. Subsequently, the UK Government announced a further expansion of this initiative that now requires all visitors – including those from Europe – to complete the online pre-travel check form.
In a September 10 statement from the UK Home Office, it was noted that the British Government is taking major steps towards delivering its ambitious aim to digitise the UK border and immigration system.
“Everyone wishing to travel to the UK – except British and Irish citizens – will need permission to travel in advance of coming here. This can be either through an ETA or an eVisa,” the statement detailed.
While most travellers will have to meet the ETA requirement in order to travel to the UK from January, this timeline will be extended to eligible Europeans, who will need an ETA to travel from April 2, 2025.
According to the UK Home Office, ETAs are digitally linked to a traveller’s passport and ensure more robust security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the UK, helping to prevent abuse of our immigration system. It added that the introduction of ETAs is in line with the approach many other countries have taken to border security, including the United States (US) and Australia.
The UK Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, said in the missive that, “Digitisation enables a smooth experience for the millions of people who pass through the border every year, including the visitors we warmly welcome to the UK who are predicted to contribute over £32 billion to our tourism economy this year. The worldwide expansion of the ETA demonstrates our commitment to enhance security through new technology and embedding a modern immigration system.”
In November 2022, the UK Government lifted the visa requirement for Guyanese passport holders.
Subsequently, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had disclosed that at least five European countries have agreed to support Guyana’s bid for visa-free travel to Schengen countries.
Moreover, Guyana has been in talks with a number of other countries including Italy and Mexico on the possibility of visa-free travel.
