The British government has performed a U-turn on requiring millions of passengers who are simply transiting through airports like London Heathrow Airport to other international destinations to obtain a £10 ‘Electronic Travel Authorization’ or ETA before they are allowed to board their plane.
The ETA, which mimics similar programs like the US government’s ESTA scheme, came into force earlier this month for millions more passengers from the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere.
Unlike other countries, however, the British government planned to require international transit passengers who had no intention of crossing the border or staying in the UK to also obtain an ETA, over fears that migrants would use the loophole to unlawfully the country.
Airlines and airports had feared, however, that the requirement for international transit passengers to obtain an ETA would push them to book flights through rival European airports like Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle, or Frankfurt Flughafen.
On Friday, however, the Home Office said it was dropping the ETA requirement for international transit passengers following “feedback” from the aviation industry.
“Following feedback from the aviation industry, the government has agreed a temporary exemption for passengers who transit airside, and therefore do not pass through UK border control,” a spokesperson for the government explained.
As you can see, the Home Office says the exemption is only temporary and “will be kept under review.” The temporary nature of the exemption is presumably just in case the government witnesses an increase in illegal border crossings.
The ETA requirement was initially rolled out to citizens of several Gulf countries last year but on January 8 it was expanded to all other non-European countries where citizens don’t otherwise require a visa to enter the UK.
The Home Office estimates that around six million passengers from the United States, Canada, and Australia will require an ETA in the first year of the scheme’s rollout.
In a statement, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra said the ETA scheme would make the UK border more efficient and preserve the UK’s “appeal as a dynamic, diverse, and exciting destination to visit.”
An ETA is valid for two years from the date of being granted and allows multiple entries. Eligible travelers can use an ETA to stay in the UK for up to six months at a time.
Fearing that the ETA system might be overwhelmed if European travelers were also included in the January rollout, the British government delayed the requirement for EU citizens to obtain an ETA until later this year.
The current plan is for the ETA system to be opened for European citizens in March 2025, and all non-British or Irish travelers from the EU will require an ETA to enter the UK from April 2, 2025.
