United Kingdom | Temporary ETA exemption for airside transit

The Home Office announced a temporary exemption from obtaining an electronic travel authorization (ETA) for certain passengers transiting airside.

Key Points:

• As BAL reported, effective Jan. 8, all eligible non-European travelers are now required to obtain an ETA prior to travel to the United Kingdom for tourism, family visits, business meetings, conferences or short-term study for six months or less.
• The ETA requirement also applies to passengers both traveling to or transiting through the U.K., and “following feedback from the aviation industry,” the government has now implemented a temporary exemption for passengers who transit airside, and therefore do not pass through U.K. border control.
• The exemption will be kept under review and primarily affects the Heathrow and Manchester airports that offer transit facilities.

Additional Information: Previously, an ETA was required for all eligible non-European travelers, even if these individuals were just transiting through the U.K. on a connecting flight. The Home Office has now removed the requirement for transit passengers to secure an online ETA when changing planes through transit facilities.

The ETA application fee is currently £10 (about US$13). However, Parliament recently proposed changes to increase the maximum fee of the ETA to £16, as well as a raise other immigration and nationality products and service fees, including a certificate of sponsorship fee increase to £525, naturalization as a British citizen fee increase to £1,605 and naturalization as a British overseas territories citizen fee increase to £1,070. The changes to ETAs, certificates of sponsorship and nationality products are forecast to generate additional revenue as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Officials reiterated in the exemption announcement that the ETA is designed to deliver a more streamlined digital immigration system, which will be quicker and more secure for the millions of people who pass through the U.K. border each year.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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