The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system has officially expanded to European travellers. Starting 2 April 2025, EU (except Irish nationals), EEA, and Swiss citizens will need ETA approval to enter the UK.

The system became mandatory for travellers from the US, Canada and Australia on 8 January 2025, following its rollout last November for nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

To obtain the visa waiver, which costs £10 (€12), travellers need to complete an online process. Unfortunately, there are already reports of scam websites offering to assist with paperwork.

Here’s what to watch out for to avoid paying more than you need to.

The ETA replaces the single-use Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) scheme, offering a lower cost option with multi-entry validity.

The UK government says its mobile app is the quickest and easiest way to apply for an ETA. You can download the ETA app from the UK government website.

If you cannot download the app, you can also apply online here.

To complete the application, make sure you have on hand the passport you’ll be travelling on, an email address and a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. You will have to answer a set of suitability questions. You don’t need to enter your travel details.

The government advises applying at least three working days before your trip.

You can delete the app when you’ve finished applying. Your ETA will be linked to your passport digitally, and you will not need to show anything else when you enter the UK.

Watch out for ETA visa waiver scam websites

The above methods are the only secure and legitimate ways to apply for the ETA.

There are no external or third-party websites that are authorised by the UK government to process the visa waiver.

These sites will simply complete the application for you via the official channels while charging you extra for their services.

Be aware that some of these sites appear above the government website (www.gov.uk) on Google searches.

It is the traveller’s individual responsibility to apply for the ETA before arriving in the UK so you will not receive reminders from the UK government. If you receive emails or text messages prompting you to apply, these will not be legitimate.

Thailand has announced it will halve the number of days foreign tourists can stay in the country without a visa from 60 days to 30.

The move comes as the Southeast Asian nation clamps down on travellers exploiting the waiver to carry out illegal business activities, tourism and sports minister Sorawong Thienthong said.

Local travel and hospitality associations have also expressed concerns over visitors renting out accommodation without official authorisation.

Thailand cuts visa-free stays to curb illegal business activities

Since July 2024, passport holders from 93 countries have been allowed to stay in Thailand for tourism purposes for up to 60 days.

By cutting the number of days to 30, the government says it hopes to curb misuse of the waiver period without damaging tourism.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents has spoken out over concerns that an increasing number of foreigners are engaging in illicit jobs or business activities while claiming to be visiting for tourism purposes.

The Thai Hotels Association raised another key issue that the 60-day stay was prompting a rise in the illegal letting of apartments to foreign visitors, the Bangkok Post reported.

Thienthong said the measure has been agreed upon in principle by key ministries and an official date for the change will be announced soon.

There will reportedly be possible exemptions or transitional measures for travellers who already have bookings in place.

How will Thailand’s shorter visa-free period affect tourism?

Thailand’s 60-day stay has been a boon for many travellers wanting to undertake extended trips, including digital nomads and retirees.

Around seven per cent of bookings to Thailand between January and February were for stays of over 22 nights, according to data from Forward Keys.

Officials say the reduction in the number of visa-free days could see a small negative impact on inbound tourism demand.

Tourism is a vital driver of Thailand’s economy, and other challenges are also facing the industry.

“The potential policy move adds to a growing list of factors weighing on the sector […], along with Chinese tourists’ security concerns and tighter travel budgets among North American and European travellers,” Bloomberg Intelligence analysts wrote in a report this week.

Thai authorities are aiming for foreign tourist arrivals to exceed 40 million in 2025, which would break the country’s 2019 record.

Between January and mid-March, Thailand’s visitor numbers were already up 3.9 per cent from 2024.

The EU’s long-delayed Entry/Exit System (EES) is scheduled to finally come into force in 2025.

Officials say Europe’s new digital border system for non-EU nationals will be rolled out beginning in October this year. The exact date will be announced “several months prior to its launch”, according to Foreign Office guidance.

The system is being introduced to bolster border security and identify travellers who overstay their permitted time in the Schengen Area (90 days within a 180-day period).

The new system requires Europe’s border crossings to have dedicated infrastructure installed. The UK government has reportedly provided Eurostar, Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover with £3.5 million (€4.1 million) each to spend on registration kiosks.

Eurostar will have 50 kiosks at three locations in stations while Eurotunnel will have over 100 kiosks and says EES checks will only add around five minutes to journey times.

The Port of Dover will have 24 kiosks for coach passengers and will register car passengers using staff members and tablets.

However, it’s expected that as little as 10 per cent of Europe’s border crossings will have this infrastructure installed when EES launches, so concerns are growing over how it will affect wait times at border crossings.

How will the EES affect border crossings?

The EES will be a registration system for UK, US and other non-EU travellers. It will only apply to those who don’t require a visa to enter the EU.

Travellers will need to scan their passports or other travel documents at a self-service kiosk each time they cross an EU external border. It will not apply to legal EU citizens or residents or those with long-stay visas.

The system will register the traveller’s name, biometric data, and the date and place of entry and exit. Facial scans and fingerprint data will be taken every three years and are valid for multiple trips within that period.

The system means that new barriers have to be installed at all international land, maritime and air borders in the Schengen Area. These are said to be heavy, with some airports saying they have had to reinforce their floors to support them. This is just one of the myriad reasons for the system’s nearly nine-year delay.

Eurostar scraps fast-track check-in system

The EES’s scanning requirements have forced European train company Eurostar to change its check-in system at the UK border.

The rail operator has scrapped a service that lets selected passengers skip the double passport control at London’s St Pancras train station.

From February, Eurostar stopped its SmartCheck option for Premium, Carte Blanche, and Etoile Club members.

The service allowed passengers who register their details on the iProov.me identification app to take advantage of facial recognition technology at St Pancras. This let them bypass the manual passport check by a UK immigration officer and go directly to French passport control.

However, the system has been removed ahead of the introduction of the EES to prepare for the facial scanning and fingerprinting requirement for Brits upon entering the EU for the first time.

There are concerns that the new system will lengthen passenger processing times at St Pancras, though Eurostar says they will increase control kiosks to minimise disruption.

“We’re removing SmartCheck as we continue to make some changes at the station in preparation for the launch of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES),” Eurostar said in a statement.

“As part of these preparations, we’re improving our border control area with new ePassport gates and extra passport control booths.

“This will help us ensure the border control process is as smooth as possible for passengers travelling in the coming months and after EES has launched.”

Delays expected at Dover ferry crossings

French authorities will also operate EES border checks at the UK’s Port of Dover. They are currently working with the UK government to minimise the system’s impact on border flows and traffic, but express concern about potential waiting times.

Government agencies and representatives for the tourism industry have said that the EES will likely cause long queues for ferry traffic sailing from Dover to Calais.

Guy Opperman, a minister in the UK’s transport department, has since explained the scheme will have a “six-month soft launch” to make the process more simple.

“If one got to a situation where there were a certain amount of queues or delays, then the provisions of the precautionary flexibility measures allow for much greater freedom of passage of vehicles, coaches, HGVs and cars,” he said.

“That takes care of so much of the queuing, so many of the complications.”

Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, has also now confirmed that the system will not be introduced until November 2025.

EES automated barriers will be gradually introduced to minimise delays

Other countries are still working on EES implementation plans, too. The European Commission (EC) is allowing a six-month phased implementation of the system to reduce the likelihood of long waiting times at borders.

This approach will give the participating nations more flexibility to fine-tune their technology and navigate unexpected issues.

The goal, according to the EC, is to have the new system working at 10 per cent of border crossings in every member state on day one. During this soft launch period, travellers’ passports will continue to be stamped, as well as electronically recorded.