Canadians traveling to United Kingdom will now have to apply and pay for a travel permit — not a visa — before entering the country.
THE UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which was rolled out on Wednesday, is mandatory for short-term visits of up to six months for all foreign travelers who do not need a visa to enter the country.
The ETA will be an emailed confirmation, as opposed to a visa, which is usually stamped or stuck inside a passport.
The ETA costs around $18 and allows travelers to stay in the UK for up to six months at a time.
It can be obtained online and allows multiple visits over a two-year period.
“ETAs are digitally linked to a traveler’s passport and ensure that more rigorous security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the UK, helping to prevent abuse of our immigration system. » » declares the British government on its website.
Prior authorization “is consistent with the approach taken by many other countries to border security, including the United States and Australia,” the UK says.
Canadian passport holders do not need a tourist visa for stays of up to six months in the UK, but a business visa, work permit or student visa is required.
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Travel advisory from Canada to the United Kingdom states that Canadians will need to apply for ETA before traveling or transiting through the United Kingdom.
ETA applications opened to visitors from dozens of countries, including Canada, in November 2024.
The program will be further expanded to more nationalities in March.
The application process takes around three days, but could also take longer, the UK government says.
The permit is valid for two years or until a person’s passport expires, whichever comes first.
The UK system is similar to the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), whose launch was delayed.
When ETIAS is launched, Canadian passport holders and other visa-exempt nationals traveling to any of these 30 European countries for a maximum period of 90 days, you will need to apply for a permit.
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