UK EVW / ETA Visa Waiver
A EVW / ETA is required. We can assist in processing this document.
Travel Document Type
EVW / ETA
Government Fee
TBC
Byevisa Processing Fee
TBC
Processing Time
TBC
Please note that the United Kingdom’s upcoming online visa waiver for EU citizens is yet to become available, while the official published information is limited. As such, we will update this page when more details are announced.
The UK Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW), also called the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), is the British government’s upcoming online visa waiver system.
Reportedly, European Union (EU) citizens will soon require a UK EVW to enter the country. This will be after the end of the Brexit transition period on 31st December 2020 and once the UK’s new system comes into place.
The UK ETA will mean that there are some changes to how EU citizens visit this country. Among other things, before you travel, you’ll have to apply for a UK visa waiver online, most likely by entering some straightforward personal and passport details.
There’ll be a fee to obtain the EVW, and it’s thought that you’ll require a passport to be permitted entry to the United Kingdom, rather than your national ID card.
The British government is introducing the UK ETA in part in response to the EU’s forthcoming ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) waiver program. This will apply to UK citizens visiting Europe. As such, the travel conditions that the EVW allows could resemble those of the ETIAS, which we’ll explain on this page.
Please note that Great Britain already offers an EVW for citizens of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We’ll talk about this EVW here too.
Read on to learn more about Great Britain’s upcoming online visa waiver!
Contents
- 1 What Is the Difference Between a UK Visa Waiver and a Normal Visa?
- 2 UK ETA Visa Requirements and Eligibility
- 3 UK Visa Waiver Program Application Process
- 4 What Do I Fill in on the UK Visa Waiver Form?
- 5 UK Visa Waiver Status Check
- 6 What’s the UK Visa Waiver Program Cost?
- 7 More UK EVW Questions and Information
What Is the Difference Between a UK Visa Waiver and a Normal Visa?
It will be far easier to obtain your online ETA/EVW than a traditional visa.
You’ll just have to type in some simple details, such as your full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and your passport issue and expiry date. You’ll also enter your travel dates, pay the fee and submit your application. So long as your details are correct, you’ll then receive your valid waiver by email to present at the border.
So there’ll be no need to visit the embassy, attend any interviews or provide lots of supporting documents. The United Kingdom’s objective is to make it as straightforward as possible for EU citizens to enter the country, while keeping track of who’s coming and going. So this frees up your time to plan what you’d like to see in the land of the Rolling Stones!
UK ETA Visa Requirements and Eligibility
It’s thought that to be eligible for the ETA, you’ll need to be an EU citizen with a valid passport. Please note that, unlike before Brexit, you won’t be allowed to enter with your national ID card. The member states of the EU are as follows:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
If the upcoming UK visa waiver program resembles the EU’s ETIAS, then your travel permit will be valid for 3 years from the date of issue. You’ll be eligible to visit England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for up to 90 days in any 6-month period, and the EVW will permit Multiple Entries. Your travel permit will be valid for tourism and business, though not for work or to study.
What this means is, for example, you could visit the UK from January to March (90 days). Then you’d need to wait for the start of the next 6-month period in July, and you could visit from July to September (90 days). You could repeat this during your ETA’s 3-year validity period, so long as your passport remains valid too.
Of course, you don’t have to visit for 90 days at a time! You can take several trips during each 6-month period that add up to 90 days or less in total.
British EVW for 4 Gulf Countries
As mentioned above, the forthcoming online visa for the UK is intended for EU citizens. However, there’s already a UK visa waiver for the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. To be eligible for this:
- You must fill in your personal and passport details online.
- You must provide the address you’ll be staying at in the UK.
- You have to enter the exact details of your journeys to and from the UK.
- Your passport must be valid at the time of travel.
- You have to pay the waiver fee of 40 USD.
- You must apply between 3 months and 48 hours ahead of your visit.
With this waiver, citizens of these 4 Gulf countries can visit the UK for up to 6 months at a time. You can visit for tourism, business, study or medical treatment. That said, you cannot use the waiver to work in the UK, get married or enter a civil partnership.
UK Visa Waiver Program Application Process
Here are the steps to obtain your UK ETA once it’s available:
- In the form at the top of this page, select your nationality and destination (United Kingdom). Click on the ‘Get Visa Info’ button and you’ll immediately see if you’re eligible for this travel permit.
- If you’re eligible, select from Byevisa’s 3 processing speeds, then click on ‘Apply Now’. If you’re not eligible, you may have to obtain your visa from your UK embassy, in which case click on the ‘nearest embassy’ link further down the page!
- On the ‘Apply Now’ page, enter your personal and passport information. This includes information such as your full name, date of birth, country of birth and passport issue date and expiry date. Remember to supply a valid email address, as this is where we’ll send your UK e-Visa!
- Next, click on ‘Continue’ to reach the ‘Processing Payment’ page. Here, select to pay by PayPal or by debit or credit card.
- If you select PayPal, simply log in and follow PayPal’s steps.
- To pay by debit or credit card, enter your name as it appears on your payment card, your payment card’s number, and your 3-digit CVC/CVV code.
- Click on ‘Submit’, and when your travel permit is approved, it will arrive in your email inbox. We recommend that you print a copy to show to Britain’s border officials when you arrive, although you may be permitted to show your EVW on your mobile. Bon voyage!
What Do I Fill in on the UK Visa Waiver Form?
To apply for the UK eVisa as an EU citizen, you’ll likely require a valid passport and not your national ID card as was the case before Brexit. It’s also possible that your passport will need to be valid for at least 6 months from your planned travel date.
Here are the likely details that you’ll need to enter:
Your Personal Details
- Your full name.
- Your date of birth.
- Your gender.
- Your place of birth.
- Your country or territory of birth.
- Whether you’re a citizen of another country.
- Your address.
- Your phone number.
- An alternative emergency contact number.
- Your email address, where we’ll send your valid EVW.
Your Passport Details
- Your passport number.
- Your passport issue date.
- Your passport expiry date.
Other Information
- Your intended entry and exit travel dates.
- Your health and security information for Britain’s national databases.
If you’re applying for the EVW as a citizen of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar or the UAE, you’ll also have to provide:
- The address where you’ll be staying.
- The details of your entry and exit journeys to and from this country.
As we stated above, for EU citizens, if the UK ETA resembles the EU’s forthcoming ETIAS, then your travel document will be valid for 3 years from the date of issue.
You’ll be permitted to enter for up to 90 days in any 6-month period. The waiver will be Multiple Entry, which means you can enter the country repeatedly during its validity lifespan! You’ll be allowed to visit for tourism or business, although not to work or study.
If you’re from any of the 4 Gulf countries, the EVW allows you to visit for up to 6 months at a time. You can visit for tourism, business, to study or for medical treatment, although not to work or get married.
UK Visa Waiver Status Check
To check the status of your EVW with Byevisa will be simple:
- In our main menu, click on ‘Log In’.
- On the next page, enter:
- The email address you submitted with your application.
- The order ID we sent you in our confirmation email.
- Then click ‘Proceed’.
From here, you’ll be able to check if your application:
- Has been approved, and how long your travel pass remains valid for.
- Remains pending for processing.
- Was rejected, and the reason why if we know.
Of course, if you have any questions about your application or you realise you made a mistake that you wish to correct, feel free to contact us! To do this:
- Click on ‘Contact Us’ in our website footer (bottom menu).
- On the following page:
- Enter your full name.
- Enter your email address.
- Choose the subject of your email from the list.
- Type in your query.
Click ‘Submit’ and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!
If you’re contacting us about a mistake you’ve made while filling in our form, we’ll correct the error free of charge, so long as we’re yet to process your application. However, if we’ve already processed your application, you’ll need to apply and pay the fee again.
What’s the UK Visa Waiver Program Cost?
It’s yet to be announced how much the UK electronic visa for EU citizens will cost. The EU’s ETIAS will cost 7 EUR, so if the United Kingdom follows suit, the price would be similar.
For citizens of the 4 eligible Gulf countries, the government charges 40 USD.
What’s more, you’ll also pay Byevisa’s processing fee. You can select from:
- Standard service.
- Rapid service.
- Highly Rapid service.
Our Highly Rapid service is ideal if you’ve left applying for your waiver until the last minute! You’ll receive it posthaste for your journey to the United Kingdom.
More UK EVW Questions and Information
Do you want to know more about Great Britain’s upcoming travel permit? Then read on for the answers to some frequently asked questions!
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, East Timor, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius,Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City
Other nationalities, including Indians, Chinese, Russians and South Africans, require a visa to enter this country. Enquire at your nearest British embassy for more information.