Travel permission is now required for the UK: Your guide to applying for ETA

As we have reportedYou now need travel permission to visit the United Kingdom.

The Application for new British electronic travel permission Opened in November for this year’s trip, and some of us at TPG went through the process. There are a few things to keep in mind, but it’s a whole.

Unfortunately, they have raised prices since I first wrote this article a few months ago. But you can follow these steps for a non -painful application process instead.

Download the UK ETA app

As recorded by the UK government website, the easiest way to apply is through official government applications, available for iOS and Android.

Be sure to apply only through the gov.uk website or official application – other websites will “help” the ones you use but will charge unnecessary fees. ETA is currently 16 British pounds per person (about $ 21). When it was first announced, it was only 10 British pounds.

Note that if you cannot access the app for any reason, you can Apply online. But in my case, I just downloaded the app and applied right on my phone.

Once you open the app, it will guide you through the process. First, you need to send an email and confirm it with a six-digit code.

Once you have confirmed your phone number and e -Mel, you can switch to more complicated parts.

Using the app to photograph and scan your passport

The next step is where some people stumble. You need to use the app to photograph your passport – and then scan the chip in your passport as well.

The gold symbol in front of the above passport means the microchip is embedded in it. (Don’t worry if your passport doesn’t have a biometric chip or you can’t get it to scan, you can still get travel permission, but you need to do it online through the previously provided links.)

Once you’ve finished photographing your passport, the app will ask you to move your phone up and down the front cover to scan the chip.

That didn’t work at first for me. It didn’t work at first for my colleague Lyndsey Matthews when he applied earlier this month either. “That’s the most complicated part,” Lyndsey said. “I finally got it to scan properly after four failed attempts. Pro tip: Take the case from your mobile phone.”

Thankfully, the app will at least tell you if it can’t find the chip.

For me, finally it works when I hold my phone above Return my passport. Apparently, in many US passports, electronic chips are actually in the back cover, not the front.

After this article was first published, Dennis Markham’s reader reported, “For my travel partners and I, we just managed to scan the chip from the color photo page in the passport. The scan did not work from the front or back cover, or from the black and white photo pages (with passport numbers and all information).

Therefore, you may need to try a few different ways to get a chip to scan.

Taking pictures for travel permission

Next, you need to scan your face to prove you are human, and then take a picture of a passport style.

You need a regular white background without this shadow – something that many people travel.

“I had to take it three times to make sure there was no shadow on my face and the background was white,” Lyndsey said.

I also need to take my picture several times to get it. Some users report that turning on flash selfie helps a lot, though I don’t have to go so far because I have direct sunlight on my face.

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Take your photo instructions. Gov.uk

Answer a series of questions to complete the UK travel permission application

While you do not need to fill out any details on any of the coming trips, the app will request your home address, what you do to work, and whether you have been convicted or suspected of any crime.

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Travel permission application questions. Gov.uk

Payment for UK travel permission

Next comes the payment screen. As you can see below, I finally paid $ 12.73 for my application, but this was before the price went up to 16 British pounds, so I got an agreement by registering early. So did my colleague Lyndsey.

“I use Apple Pay through me Bill MasterCard® and charged $ 12,97, “Lyndsey said.” You can also pay with Google Pay or credit or debit card. Because I used my MasterCard Bill on February 1, I got a twice -pted rental bonus on the application fee. “

Note: Bilt card holder must use card five times per statement period to earn points; Twice points on rent is limited to 1,000 points and excluding rent payments.

Once you have completed your payment, the application will display a successful application message with the ETA reference number.

Most users should receive their permission in minutes, but the UK government warns that it can take up to three business days to get a release, so it may be best to mislead your heart and apply ahead of your journey.

I got an e -Mel immediately confirmed my application was still pending -and, one minute later, another e -Mel saying I was approved.

My friends Tanner Saunders and Lyndsey Matthews also received E -Mel with their approval within three minutes. Find e -mel from UK visas and immigration home office to detect your application.

“Since ethas is associated with the passport you use, I don’t have to print anything,” Lyndsey said. “When I landed in Heathrow, I continued the epassport door as usual and left Terminal 3 to catch Heathrow Express in five minutes.”

Travel permission is good for two years or until your passport expires, whichever is earlier. You can also go to the UK as much as you want on the same ETA.

Bottom Line

The process of application for the new UK travel permission is a bit painless if you have the habit of graduating with technology. Additional expenses and steps to visit the UK may be annoying, but long -line predictions and travel chaos at the port of admission so far have been too much.

Easy -That, when the European Union came out its own version Sometimes this year or next year, it will be the same.

Related Readings:

View Bilt MasterCard Rate and Fee here.
View the rewards and benefits of MasterCard Bilt here.