Traveling To The U.K. Next Year? You Need To Get Authorized Online.

https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/big-ben-house-parliament-night-london-united-kingdom_10589989.htm#fromView=image_search_similar&page=1&position=0&uuid=f7ea54ea-26b9-4ca8-ba5f-c4e654e865b0

By Edward Russell

Americans traveling to London to see Big Ben, or maybe just changing planes en route to Cairo, will soon need to register online with the British government before they start their journey.

Beginning Jan. 8, all visa-exempt travelers landing at an airport in the U.K. with non-European passports will need an “electronic travel authorization,” or ETA, before they depart. The application, which opens for Americans on Wednesday, costs 10 pounds, or about $12.50. It can be done online or via an app. Once the ETA is approved, it is valid for two years and good for multiple entries of up to six months in Britain.

Travel better with news, tips and guides that make you feel like a local wherever you go. In your inbox, Thursdays.

The ETA program expands to all passports, including European ones, on April 2. Citizens of the U.K. and Ireland, as well as those with valid U.K. visas, are exempt.

The new U.K. travel requirements create more work for Americans used to unhampered transatlantic travel. The new ETAs could take up to 72 hours to process, throwing a potential wrench in any 11th-hour plans for fliers who were long able to hop on a plane at a moment’s notice.

The potential for travel disruption could be big. The U.S.-U.K. market is one of the largest international air routes in the world, with more than 20 million people flying between the countries last year, according to data from the U.S. International Trade Administration.

Airlines offered around 150 daily flights between the countries this past summer, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium Diio.

Continue reading – FREE

Disclaimer

The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components