Monsurat
Canadians who will be visiting the UK may now have to pay for Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The country is set to charge visitors from Canada, the US, Australia.
The UK government says the ETA will be implemented worldwide in 2024. The ETA, according to the UK government, was created to strengthen security at the UK border “by ensuring robust security checks are conducted on every visitor pre-travel.
“ETAs will enhance our border security by increasing our knowledge about those seeking to come to the UK and preventing the arrival of those who pose a threat”, said Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick in a press release.
He said “it will also improve travel for legitimate visitors, with those visiting from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states being among the first to benefit.” The UK government says Qatari visitors will be the first to be able to apply for an ETA in October 2023.
However, visitors from the GCC and Jordan can apply from February 2024, after the initial launch for Qatar. The government states that “the new scheme will entirely replace the current Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) Scheme which requires visitors to the UK from GCC states to pay a higher cost for a single-use visa.”
According to the UK government, ETAs will be required worldwide for visitors who do not need a visa for short stays, including those visiting from Europe. This also applies to Canadians, Americans and Australians.
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