Canadians will now have to acquire an electronic travel authorization if they plan to travel to England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, even for short-term visits.
Canada is among the over 50 countries permitted to apply for the travel document with the U.K. government expected to list an additional 30 countries who may apply starting Mar. 5.
Travellers will be required to submit their passport details, dates of travel and modes of transportation for authorities to review ahead of time as part of a new digital pre-screening process.
The changes are effective as of Wednesday.
According to the U.K. government, Canadians who have a U.K. visa or are dual citizens will not be affected by the new regulations.
Applicant’s information will be reviewed through a global database before being approved.
The system is designed to deal with concerns surrounding the U.K.’s immigration and refugee status.
The application will cost around $18 for the time being, however, prices are likely to rise over time and may vary depending on the time of year.
Travellers without authorization may be turned away upon arrival and sent back to their country of origin.
After receiving ETA approval, an individual’s authorization will last for two years and may be used as many times as desired over that period.
However, an ETA does not permit one to stay in the U.K. for longer than six months or do paid or unpaid work for a U.K. company or self-employed person among other things.
There are 27 countries in the EU expected to launch similar systems by the end of this year.
