UK Introduces Affordable Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for Gulf Visitors and Jordanian Nationals

The cost to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for residents of Jordan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will soon be just £10. A two-year period covered by the ETA will allow them to go to the UK numerous times. The Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) programme now charges Gulf nationals £30 for each visit to the UK, whereas Jordanian nationals must pay £100 for a visit visa.

The programme is scheduled to begin for nationals of Qatar in October 2023, followed by the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations and Jordan in February 2024, before being made available to all nationalities worldwide in the course of 2024.

In an effort to improve customer service and border security, the UK government earlier this year revealed intentions to implement a new ETA programme as part of a digitalization of the UK border by 2025.

An ETA is a digital travel authorization for anyone transiting through or entering the UK who do not require a visa for short-term stays or who do not already have a valid UK visa.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick stated that “Visitors from the Gulf states and Jordan make a huge contribution to the UK’s tourism industry and the new ETA scheme will make it easier and cheaper for them to travel to the UK.

“The cost of an ETA will be one of the best value in the world compared to similar international schemes. This small additional cost to visitors will enable us to bolster the security of the UK border and keep our communities safe.”

Lord Ahmad, minister for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, added: “This scheme is further proof of the strong partnership between the UK and countries across the region.

“By cutting costs and visa requirements, the ETA scheme will ensure visitors from the Gulf states and Jordan can enjoy travelling with ease to the UK, boosting business and tourism links between our countries.

“Gulf visitors are highly valuable to the UK economy, with over 790,000 Gulf visitors spending £2 billion during their stays in the UK last year.”

As a result of the switch to the ETA scheme, citizens of Jordan and the GCC countries will no longer need visas to visit the UK, bringing their entry requirements into line with those of other travellers, such as those from the US and Australia.

A mobile phone app will be used to submit an ETA application in its entirety online. To apply, candidates must submit biographical and biometric information, including a digital photo and a set of questions about their suitability.

CEO of UKinbound Joss Croft made the following observation, “The UK already ranks at the bottom for international price competitiveness because of a plethora of taxes and costs such as the high rates of VAT on hospitality, punishingly high Air Passenger Duty and the removal of tax-free shopping.

“Unfortunately, charging visitors a fee to come to the UK will only exacerbate this situation and potentially act as an additional barrier to the growth in international visitation to the UK.

“Whilst we have begun to see welcome signs of recovery to the UK’s fifth largest export sector, we continue to lag behind our European neighbours, most of which are more price competitive and are not held back by sky-high taxes and costs.

“We urge the government to keep the cost of the ETA under review as well as the decision to only produce the forms in English, which is in marked contrast to other nations.”