The UK authorities have just announced that the country will introduce a travel authorization requirement - the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) - in November 2023, but this will not apply to EU nationals until next year.
An ETA is a new requirement that will soon begin to apply to all those who do not need a visa to enter the UK and based on data provided by the UK government. EU nationals will not have to obtain an ETA until February 2024.
The British government has already announced that nationals of seven countries - Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates - will be required to obtain an ETA beginning February 22, 2024, and indicated that "more countries" would be added later.
This means that since none of the EU countries are on the list yet, EU citizens will not be required to obtain UK ETA this year.
All persons who obtain an ETA will be allowed to enter and remain in the UK for up to six months to visit family or friends, as well as for business, travel or study purposes.
In addition, those who obtain an ETA will also be allowed to enter and remain in the UK for up to three months through the Creative Worker visa concession, and they will also be allowed to transit through the UK.
The application for ETA should be made on the UK ETA application or online via the official government website.
According to the UK authorities, processing times will be approximately three working days. However, depending on whether the authorities need to carry out additional checks, this may take more days.