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Travelling to and from the UK for Christmas 2024

December 3rd, 2024

Christmas period is upon us. In this article we outline what your family and friends have to do to safely enter the UK if coming to visit you from abroad, or what you need to do to re-enter the UK when returning from Christmas holidays. 

Information for travellers from Europe entering the UK 

This Chirstmas there are no changes for European nationals arriving to the UK as visitors. From April next year, the UK is introducing a mandatory Electronic Travel Authorisation system (ETA) which opens for the EU nationals on 5 March 2025 and becomes mandatory from 2 April 2025.  

There is no change for holders of one of the Ukraine humanitarian visas. However, if you plan to return to the UK in January, you will be need an eVisa to re-enter the UK – read more and apply here: https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa  

What is an ETA?  

An ETA is a system on electronic monitoring of people entering the UK as visitors. It applies only to nationals of these countries that don’t need a visa to visit the UK. All EU/EEA nationals and the Swiss will be covered by the ETA requirement. 

People from countries where a visa is required don’t have to obtain an ETA as their visa is an authority that allows them to enter the UK. Among those are Ukrainians, Russians, Belarussians, Albanians and other European nationals outside the EU. 

An ETA requirement will apply to all travellers to the UK, including babies and children. Each ETA application incurs £10 fee and is valid for 2 years or until the expiry of a passport to which it is attached.  

Please note: nationals of countries outside Europe are already covered by the ETA requirement.  

Information for Europeans travelling to the EU 

This Christas there is no change for EU nationals travelling to the EU/EEA states for holidays. From mid-2025, the EU is introducing an equivalent of ETA – European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). 

EU citizens who are naturalised British citizens and travel using British passports as well as British family members will require ETIAS to enter the EU. 

Like an ETA, ETIAS will apply only to people from countries who benefit from visa-free travel. All other visitors will require visas to enter the EU and that acts as a travel authorisation. 

EU nationals who are waiting for the EUSS or PSS decisions 

EU nationals who have applied for the EU Settled Status (EUSS) or pre-settled status (PSS) and haven’t received the decision yet, are advised not to leave the UK. Certificate of Application that Home Office issues to an applicant who awaits the decision doesn’t guarantee the right to re-entry the UK. There is a risk that you may not be allowed to re-enter the UK until you have received a positive EUSS/PSS decision. 

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