Canadians travelling to the United Kingdom will now need to apply and pay for a travel permit — not a visa — before entering the country.
The U.K.’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which rolled out on Wednesday, is required for short-term visits of up to six months for all foreign travellers who do not need a visa to enter the country.
The ETA will be an emailed confirmation as opposed to a visa, which is usually stamped or glued inside a passport.
The ETA costs roughly $18 and allows travellers to stay in the U.K. for a maximum of six months at a time.
It can be obtained online and permits multiple visits over a two-year period.
“ETAs are digitally linked to a traveller’s passport and ensure more robust security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the UK, helping to prevent abuse of our immigration system,” the U.K. government states on its website.
The pre-authorization “is in line with the approach many other countries have taken to border security, including the US and Australia,” the U.K. says.
Canadian passport holders do not need a tourist visa for stays up to six months in the U.K., but a business visa or work permit or a student visa is required.
Canada’s travel advisory for the U.K. states that Canadians will need to apply for the ETA before travelling to or transiting through the U.K.
Applications for the ETA were opened to visitors from dozens of countries, including Canada, in November 2024.
The program will further expand to more nationalities in March.
The application process takes about three days but could also take longer, the U.K. government says.
The permit is valid for two years or until a person’s passport expires, whichever comes sooner.
The U.K. scheme is similar to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), the launch of which has been delayed.
When ETIAS launches, Canadian passport holders and other visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of these 30 European countries for up to 90 days will have to apply for a permit.