New Zealanders planning on visiting the United Kingdom will soon have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation before they fly.

Similar to the NZeTA which tourists from visa waiver countries must apply for before travelling to New Zealand, the UK government announced its intention to introduce an ETA no later than 2025.

“The scheme will give the UK more control of our borders, allowing us to block threats from entering the UK, whilst also providing individuals, and carriers with more assurance at an earlier point in time about their ability to travel to the UK,” says the UK Home Office regarding the Nationality and Borders Bill.

All visitors from the “visa waiver” countries must first apply and pay for the digital travel authorisation before travel, apart from citizens of the UK or Ireland.

This decision sees the UK joining other countries which have introduced digital travel permits for visitors who would normally be “visa exempt” or granted a visa on arrival.

New Zealand, the USA, Canada and Australia already require electronic travel applications for visitors from certain nations on short trips.

The cost of the UK’s proposed ETA has not yet been announced. However, the Home Office says it will be up to airlines and carriers to check. Visitors trying to travel without an ETA will be refused boarding their plane.

“To be fully effective, individuals’ permissions must be checked by their carrier and confirmed prior to travel.”

The European Union is set to introduce its own digital travel authority, the ETIAS, by the end of the year after delays caused by the pandemic. The EU travel authority will cost €7 ($11).

ETA errors and exploitation

The relatively recent requirements of digital travel authorisations - which must be applied for online prior to travel - have opened up travellers to exploitation and errors.

The US was one of the first to introduce its Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) in 2010. Travellers searching to apply for an authority online will often find third party “Esta services” promoted above official US Customs and Borders Protection sites.

In 2019 the Herald revealed that some third party services were charging up to ten times more for an ESTA in commissions.

The US Consulate has warned travellers of “ESTA fraud” and to always apply via the official government portal.

Despite not being required until next year, non government websites have already appeared advising and, in some cases, charging for European ETIAS processing.

Other travellers find themselves paying extra for expedited services, not realising they need an ETA for their destination or for a country they are transiting.

Another issue with the electronic travel authorisations is that they are checked by carriers en route to a destination but are not required to book travel.

In some cases it has cost unprepared or ill-informed travellers expensive international fares, after they are refused boarding by airlines.