No ETA permit needed for Americans and others only transiting in UK
However, the fee for those who do need ETAs is likely to rise
Travellers who are only transiting in the UK (changing flights) and will not pass through the UK Border will no longer need an ETA
Jenari/Shutterstock
Non-European travellers who transit through UK airports London Heathrow and Manchester (the only UK airports with transit facilities) will no longer need an online ETA permit, UK officials have announced.
This applies to people transiting through the UK to or from France, for example if an American flies to Chicago from Paris, via London Heathrow.
Since January 8, non-Europeans wanting to travel to Britain - even if only transiting through to connect to another flight - have needed to apply online in advance for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), at a cost of £10. EU citizens will be affected from April 2.
Read more: New UK travel permit rules: how are travellers from France affected?
The pre-approval was required even if travellers were not planning to leave the airport or pass through UK border passport control.
Officials at London Heathrow had been among those to criticise the rule, saying that it would send thousands of travellers per day to rival airports, and could lose the major transport hub up to four million passengers per day.
Heathrow sees the largest number of transiting passengers in the country, followed by Manchester airport, which processes far fewer connecting travellers. In the UK, only Heathrow and Manchester have transit facilities, meaning that passengers changing planes can stay ‘airside’ and not go through the UK border controls.
Government ministers had previously defended the measure, saying that it would help to combat illegal migration.
‘Exemption agreed’
In what has been described as a welcome ‘U-turn’, the government has now removed the measure.
In a statement published online on January 16, it said: “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.”
However, the Home Office has said that “the exemption will be kept under review”.
“The removal of airside transit passengers from the ETA scheme is the right decision and we welcome it,” said Heathrow’s chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, to UK paper The Independent.
“This is a critical move to ensure Heathrow and the aviation industry as a whole can continue to deliver for everyone who depends on our world-leading connectivity. It shows that the government is listening to industry concerns and is willing to make the necessary changes to strengthen the UK’s competitiveness and drive economic growth,” he said.
Who will need an ETA now?
From April 2, 2025, all arrivals in the UK (including EU/EEA/Swiss citizens) will need an ETA, except:
Citizens from some Middle Eastern nations, and non-Europeans such as Americans, Australians and Canadians, already need an ETA for a stay in the UK.
Application for the ETA is based on your country of citizenship, and not where you have residency rights. The ETA lasts for two years or until your passport expires and you obtain a new one.
You can apply for an ETA on the UK government website here. You can also use the UK government’s visa checker to see when you require a visa..
Read also: How will French/British couples be affected by UK’s ETA scheme?
The Home Office has also announced that it wants to raise the cost of an ETA from £10 to £16.
Proposals to allow it to raise the fees were laid before parliament yesterday (January 16), and will come into force once approved by parliament - a home office spokesperson said they do not anticipate difficulties with this. If approved further legislation will be laid introducing the increase to £16 “as soon as parliamentary time allows”.
This compares to plans by the EU to levy €8 for its similar ‘Etias’ scheme, which is now not expected to launch until late this year (2025) at the earliest.
