Travel warning as tourists from 48 countries will need visa to enter UK from tomorrow

The UK has announced new travel guidance for people entering the country, requiring travellers from 48 countries to apply for a visa if they want to cross the British border from tomorrow onwards.

People wanting to enter the UK from these countries from January 8 will need to get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) visa – a new type of digital registration scheme for travellers who don’t already need a visa to enter the country.

The scheme is to the UK of less than six months for tourism, business and study purposes as well as permitted paid engagements.

An ETA costs £10, the cost of which is non-refundable, and you can apply through the official app The processing time of the app is roughly 10 minutes – faster than doing it online.

Travellers are also being warned to as these may charge more money and are unlikely to be safe.

EU citizens travelling to the UK will need to get one too, but not until April 2, 2025. You do not need an ETA if any of these apply to you:

• You have a visa
• You have permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status or right of abode)
• You are a British or Irish citizen
• You are travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport
• You live in Ireland and you are travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man

Being approved for an ETA does not automatically allow you entry into the UK; visitors must still go through passport control and can be denied entry by Border Force.

Applicants must upload a photo of their passport and themselves and answer questions about to the UK. It takes around 20 minutes and must be done in one go.

Decisions are usually made within three days but it can take longer, and you’re allowed to travel to the UK while the decision is pending.

Countries needing an ETA visa from January 8

1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. The Bahamas
5. Barbados
6. Belize
7. Botswana
8. Brazil
9. Brunei
10. Canada
11. Chile
12. Costa Rica
13. Grenada
14. Guatemala
15. Guyana
16. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)
18. Japan
19. Kiribati
20. Macao Special Administrative Region
21. Malaysia
22. Maldives
23. Marshall Islands
24. Mauritius
25. Mexico
26. Federated States of Micronesia
27. Nauru
28. New Zealand
29. Nicaragua
30. Palau
31. Panama
32. Papua New Guinea
33. Paraguay
34. Peru
35. Samoa
36. Seychelles
37. Singapore
38. Solomon Islands
39. South Korea
40. St Kitts and Nevis
41. St Lucia
42. St Vincent and the Grenadines
43. Taiwan (if you have a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)
44. Tonga
45. Trinidad and Tobago
46. Tuvalu
47. United States
48. Uruguay