UK to oblige Portuguese to have visas to enter UK

Portuguese who want to visit the United Kingdom will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, a document that will become mandatory for Europeans from April 2025, the British Government announced on Tuesday.

The system involves the advance registration of personal and biometric data digitally, through an application, and the payment of a fee of £10 (€12).

The authorisation may take up to three days and will be valid for two years, during which time multiple visits to the United Kingdom of up to six months duration may be made.

After an experimental phase with some Arab countries started in 2023, the system will be extended to all visitors who do not require a prior visa for short-term stays.

Visitors from non-European countries such as the United States, Brazil, Macau, or Argentina will be able to apply from November 27 and will have to have an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from January 8.

European tourists, including from Portugal, will be able to apply from March 5, and is mandatory to visit the United Kingdom from April 2, 2025. British nationals living abroad as well as foreign nationals residing in the Republic of Ireland are exempt as they are part of a common travel area with the United Kingdom.

The ETA may be rejected based on a criminal record or risk of, for example, terrorism. The British Home Office said today that this measure is part of the objective of “digitalising the UK’s border and immigration system.”

“Digitalisation allows for a smooth experience for the millions of people who pass through the border every year,” said Secretary of State for the Interior Seema Malhotra.

This system does not apply to residence permit holders, such as those registered with the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) opened after Brexit, visa workers or students.

The British system is similar to that used by countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and to the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) that the European Union aims to have in place in the first half of 2025.