A friend told me she was going to Scotland next week. I asked if she completed the ETA process. She was unaware of the new requirement. Luckily, I asked or she would have to do the process in the airport
As of January 2025, visitors to the UK will need to register their travel with the UK Government for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The ETA is more of a registration process, than permission like a visa.
The website is:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta
The process that I just completed was straightforward and is best done with a smartphone. The cost is about $12 USD. To do the process, I installed a small app from the webpage using the green button link near the bottom of the page.
I gathered my passport, made sure I could access my email on my phone (or sit at your computer to enter the verification), and my credit card.
Tip: My credit card sends me a message to approve overseas charges, so keep this in mind.
Within the app, they will want you to take a photo of your passport picture page, use the forward facing camera to scan your face and then take a photo of your face, and also scan your chip in your passport. I have a new passport and I needed to rub my phone on the back of my passport for the phone app to “read” the passport chip. After I paid my money, within about 5 minutes, I received an approval email!
Now I am all set to travel to the UK for two years.