Australians will soon have complete an online application and pay a fee before entering the United Kingdom under changes to border arrangements.
The United Kingdom will later this year begin to roll out its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visitors arriving from nations that do not need a visa.
Under the current set-up, citizens from countries such as Australia can simply arrive and pass through border control for an up to six-month visit.
Nationals of Qatar will be the first required to complete the ETA and pay the £10 (AU$18.70) fee prior to heading to the United Kingdom.
They can make their application from October 25, for travel from November 15.
The application process will involve providing biometric details and answering “a set of suitability questions”.
The scheme will then be rolled-out to nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who will need an ETA from 22 February, 2024.
A date has not yet been set for when Australians will need to have the ETA but the United Kingdom government is aiming to fully implement the scheme by the end of next year.
“By the end of 2024, ETAs will be a requirement worldwide for visitors who do not need a visa for short stays, including those visiting from Europe,” a statement said.
“Visitors from Europe, and other nations such as America and Australia do not currently need to make any form of application to visit the UK. However, this will be changing with the introduction of ETAs.”
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