Australians travelling to UK will soon be forced to pay fee and obtain an ETA

Australians will soon have to pay a fee to enter the United Kingdom under a new scheme to keep track of holidaymakers travelling in the country.

The visa waiver program, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), will require travellers to pay a small fee of about AU$18.60 to enter the UK.

The ETA is similar to the United States’ ESTA and the European Union’s ETIAS visa waiver programs which screen travellers prior to their arrival into the country. 

The program will allow the UK Government to keep track of how many people are travelling though the country.

Australians have previously been allowed to enter the country for free without a visa when visiting for a holiday. 

The UK Government explains on its website why it has decided to introduce ETAs. 

‘The ETA will provide more accurate information regarding the number of people travelling to the UK and the countries they arrive from,’ the website reads.

The government currently gathers data on travellers through surveys being conducted at ports of entry which don’t ‘provide accurate figures’.

‘In addition to providing accurate data, ETA will also make the UK an even safer destination,’ the website reads.

‘By screening passengers before they reach the UK, threats can be detected earlier.’

The scheme was first announced in 2021 by Priti Patel, then-Minister for Home Affairs for the Conservative Party, as a screening process to keep ‘criminals’ out of the country.

‘They (the public of the UK) want a new system that works for the law-abiding majority and against those who hope to abuse our hospitality and generosity,’ Ms Patel said at the time.

‘One that welcomes those most in need of sanctuary and slams the door on dangerous criminals.’

The program was created to screen travellers and gather data on who is entering the country and where, it will cost £10 or AU$18.60 and three-business days to be cleared into the UK

Qatar is the first nation to be affected by the changes, with locals having to purchase an ETA from November 15.

The next set of nations will be Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates whose citizens will need an ETA from February 2024.

It is unclear when Australia will be officially added to the ETA list, however the country has previously indicated a complete implementation by 2025.

After being screened for an ETA, entering the country should remain simple as the document will be linked to a passport which is scanned and verified via a face scan.