International visitors to the UK will be barred from entry if they do not have digital permission to travel under new rules coming into force today.
Airlines will prevent passengers from boarding if they do not have an Electronic Travel Authorisation, eVisa or other valid documentation.
Visitors of 85 nationalities, including nationals of the United States, Canada and France, are now legally required to have an ETA when travelling to the UK.
Emiratis have been included in the UK's ETA scheme since last year.
ETAs have been brought in as part of wider plans for a “more streamlined, digital immigration system” which the Government hopes will be faster and more secure for the millions of people who pass through the UK border each year.
It is a digital permission to travel – it is not a visa or a tax and only authorises a person to travel to the UK.
What are the rules?
Applying for an ETA costs £16 (Dh76) and covers multiple trips. It lasts for two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.
Under the rules anyone from the 85 qualifying countries without an ETA will not be able to board their flight, ferry or train.
ETAs are also mandatory for visitors who travel to the UK to take connecting flights and go through passport control.
UK citizens are exempt but dual nationals will be required to present either a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement when travelling to the UK.
Certificates of Entitlement will be issued in digital format and cost £580 but only need to be applied for once, rather than expiring with a passport.
At their own discretion, carriers may accept some expired British passports as alternative documentation.
British dual nationals are told by the Home Office that they can also apply for an emergency travel document, which costs £125 and takes two days to process.
However, this can take "several weeks" according to the Gov.UK website for people whose passport has expired, for children under 16, and in the event that the applicant is asked to provide further supporting documentation. People with passports issued before 2006 cannot apply online.
How to apply?
The UK government says that applying for an ETA through the UK ETA app is quick and easy.
The vast majority of applicants currently receive a decision automatically within minutes, ensuring that spontaneous trips to the UK remain possible.
But it is recommended that visitors allow up to three working days before they plan to travel to receive their decision in time and, to account for the small number of cases that require additional review.
Controversy
The change caused a scramble for dual nationals who had allowed their British passport to lapse or had never obtained one.
This particularly affects people who have British citizenship through birth but have never obtained a British passport.
One person complained on social media that some of the documents required to apply for a passport were no longer available because her parents emigrated to Australia in the 1960s when she was an infant.
Concerns were raised as the policy appears to penalise British nationals who hold another nationality. Conservative MP David Davis said the new arrangements treated dual nationals “as though they are foreign visitors to their own country.”
It emerged last week that the daughter of one of Mr Davis’ 91-year old constituents, would no longer be able to visit her dying mother until she has her passport renewed.
The Liberal Democrats called on Ms Mahmoud to move “at speed” to introduce a “grace period” for British dual nationals. “It is unacceptable that British citizens could be penalised,” said Will Forster, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for immigration and asylum, in a letter to Ms Mahmoud.
“They are being forced to pay substantial sums for expedited passport services or endure long waits just to return home,” the letter that was co-signed by 23 Liberal Democrat MPs said. “It has left people unable to visit seriously ill relatives, attend funerals, or participate in once in a lifetime family events such as weddings,” its said.
It accused the government of “lack of planning and haphazard communication,” as it asked for a “low-cost accessible alternative” to the scheme for dual nationals affected by it.
British children born overseas with dual nationality were also affected as parents are requested to supply - in addition to the child's birth certificate - their own birth and marriage certificates, as well as those of their British parents.
People who have ordered new copies of their birth and marriage certificates from Australia have complained they have been waiting more than five weeks. These cost £12.50 each, but those needing theirs expedited to receive the next working day pay £38.50, in addition to secure postage costs.
But the UK backtracked at the 11th hour on aspects of the new ETA scheme, telling British dual nationals they can use their expired British passports to avoid chaos during today’s rule change.
These will be checked by the airline, who will be responsible for turning away passengers before boarding and face fines if they do not comply. Late last week, the UK’s Home Office said it would allow airlines to accept expired passports “at their discretion”, as long as the passports were issued from 1989 and another valid passport was presented.
The UK has been phasing out physical documents for several years through the transition to eVisas, with over 10 million issued to date.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Mike Tapp said: “The ETA scheme is a vital part of our work to strengthen the UK’s border security, helping to deliver a more efficient and modern service that works for both visitors and the British public.
“I’d urge anyone wanting to travel to the UK to ensure they are travel ready and have the right permission, to make their journey much smoother.”
