Digital authorization required for Americans to travel to U.K. in 2025
Planning a trip to the United Kingdom in 2025? If so, you’ll need more than just a passport.
Starting Jan. 8, American citizens will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization in order to enter the U.K., Time Magazine reported.
“U.S. citizens transiting through or traveling to the United Kingdom for tourism, family visits, business meetings, conferences or short-term study for six months or less will require an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) prior to travel,” according to the U.S. Department of State.
An ETA gives people the ability to be in the U.K. for up to six months without a visa. They last for two years, meaning it can be used as many times as people want during that period of time.
Travelers don’t need an ETA if they have a U.K. visa, or are a British or Irish citizen.
How to apply
People who want to check if they’re eligible to apply for an ETA should check on the U.K. government website. Everyone traveling needs an ETA — including babies and children, the website says.
The quickest way to apply is by using the U.K. ETA phone app, Time said, and the process should take around 10 minutes. People can apply through the website instead as well. Applicants should get a decision within three work days.
On the application, people will have to pay an application fee that’s 10 pounds, or around $13, according to the New York Times, and upload a photograph of themself and a picture of their passport. Travel details aren’t required.
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.
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