How much does it cost? 

£10 per applicant, subject to review; £15 is already being mooted as a possible future charge. For comparison, the US ESTA costs $21 (£16).

What will the money be spent on? 

The Home Office estimate for net income ranges from £180 million to £400 million per year. It hasn’t announced how the money will be spent. Set-up and IT costs for public and private sectors will be well into the millions.

The US channels US$100 million annually from the ESTA into the Travel Promotion Fund, a public-private partnership that promotes the sector. In 2018, an excess of US$60 million went directly to paying the foreign debt.

Will the ETA deter criminals?

To date, ETAs granted for Gulf and Jordan were (to the year ended June 2024) 388,021 out of 393,253 applications. The refusal rate was just 1.3 per cent. 

The only grounds of refusal are either criminal convictions or previous immigration breaches. Those who are refused an ETA are asked to apply for a full visa. 

The Gulf states and Jordan generally have lower crime rates than industrialised countries, and a total population of around 56 million, so the impact on the overall immigration system has been relatively small.

That said, the fact Jordan has been dropped from the system after such a short period will have raised concerns. 

Will it deter visitors? 

Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands (and their tourism sectors) have expressed concern about the possible impact of the ETA. 

Currently, 60 per cent of foreign tourists to Northern Ireland also visit the Republic of Ireland, according to the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance. The introduction of the ETA fee could discourage travellers from including Northern Ireland in their itineraries, meaning lost revenue.

“There is no doubt that non-Irish national/resident travellers going from Ireland to Northern Ireland will be inconvenienced by having to apply for an ETA before they travel,” says Nicolas Rollason, a partner at law firm Kingsley Napley and expert in immigration law.

“But if the application system remains relatively quick, cheap and easy, it will be a matter of ensuring proper communication with passengers coming to the Republic to ensure that they are aware of the need for an ETA.”

A scheme allowing French day-trippers to visit Jersey and Guernsey using only identity cards will end next year, when the ETA comes into force for Europeans. Impulse visits are almost certain to drop, and there is concern across the islands that tourism revenues could suffer in the long term.

ETAs will also be required by transit passengers. In August, Heathrow reported a decline of 90,000 passengers on Middle Eastern routes since the ETA scheme was introduced. Transit passengers help make long-haul routes viable and there are fears that the ETA could spell fewer flight options and higher fares. 

What will happen to the data collected? 

The UK Borders Agency says it will keep information “for as long as it is necessary for permitted purposes”, adding: “At the border, passenger name records data is retained for up to five years. Advance passenger information may be retained for 10 years.”

Other, more sensitive data can be held for between six and 25 years.

“The way in which data captured in the ETA will be used has caused significant concern for both data protection and civil liberties,” says Nicolas Rollason. “Electronic border management is a rapidly developing area, and the UK has made clear its intention to use other tools such as facial recognition technology to speed passengers through the UK border. While the UK says it will not retain personal data related to the ETA, the use of automated decision making which is part of the ETA scheme, and use of more intrusive technologies are a sign of things to come.

“Concerns remain about what data the UK will share with other countries, as it currently has numerous agreements to share immigration data with a range of ‘friendly’ countries for the purposes of combatting immigration breaches, serious crime and terrorism. 

“The vast amount of data the UK will receive through the ETA needs to be managed carefully, with clear observance of individual data protection rights and the possibility for judicial oversight.”

Why are so many governments rolling out this electronic red tape at once? 

The ETA scheme, like the ESTA, is intended to tighten border controls. The European Union is expected to introduce a similar visa-waiver called ETIAS in 2025 for all travellers to the EU, including UK nationals. 

The ETIAS will require an address, passport details, current occupation, and information about past travel to conflict zones or criminal convictions. No biometric data, such as fingerprints will be collected on application, but on arrival at the border, travellers will have to provide a facial image and fingerprints as part of a separate scheme called Entry/Exit Systems (EES).

The EU says: “By providing vital information on security, irregular migration and public health, ETIAS will significantly contribute to closing existing security information gaps.” 

ETIAS is expected to cost €7 and last for three years. There isn’t a confirmed date yet for the introduction of the scheme.

What about those countries outside the ETA scheme?

Many countries will still require visas to enter or transit the UK airside, including Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia and many African nations. Some countries need a visa to enter or transit landside, including Armenia, Cambodia, Ecuador and Ukraine. The full list is on the FCDO website here.