To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the first overseas visitors to Northern Ireland arriving via the Republic of Ireland to be impacted by the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme.
Answered on
8 January 2025
We are introducing the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to enhance our ability to screen travellers upstream and stop those who pose a threat from travelling to the UK. The scheme, which already applies to nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, has now being extended to all remaining non-visa nationals (except Europeans) and will be a requirement for this cohort for travel from 8 January 2025.
The Government appreciates that the introduction of ETAs represents a substantial change for millions of overseas visitors to the UK (including those intending to cross the land border from Ireland). We are communicating these changes across a range of channels to all those potentially in scope, and there has been regular engagement to that end with officials in the Northern Ireland tourism sector.
The application process is quick and simple. Applicants usually get a decision within three working days.