On January 7, we posted new information about the UK requiring ETAs (electronic travel authorization) even when only flying through on a flight layover. This policy change would directly impact us when we fly to South Africa on March 1. See our post here.
We had noted the calendar to apply for the UK ETA in plenty of time for our upcoming flight in only 35 days. Now, we won’t have to.
Their new policy, which went into effect on January 8, 2025, received much criticism from flight passengers who never left the airport during a layover. According to the article below, the ETA for transit passenger layovers will not be required. However, all other listed requirements will remain the same.
Weirdly, the UK is proposing an increase in the ETA fees, established on January 8, as described below:
From Travel and Leisure
“The UK Is Dropping Its ETA Fee for These Specific Passengers — What to Know
It also is proposing an increase in the fee just weeks after launch. By Alison Fox
The United Kingdom has proposed raising its electronic travel authorization (ETA) fee just weeks after it went into effect. Still, it will no longer require it for transit passengers not leaving the airport.
The ETA fee, which went into effect for most travelers on Jan. 8, including those from the United States, currently costs £10 ($12.28) to apply. However, the UK has proposed raising the cost to £16 ($19.65).
With that, the UK government said last week that travelers no longer need to pay if they do not pass through border control. (Which isn’t necessary for many layovers such as our case).
“As part of the government’s Plan for Change, ETAs will deliver a more streamlined, digital immigration system which will be quicker and more secure for the millions of people who pass through the UK border each year,” the Home Office wrote in a statement. “However, following feedback from the aviation industry, the government has agreed a temporary exemption for passengers who transit airside, and therefore do not pass through UK border control.”
Following the announcement, Willie Walsh, the director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said he opposed the increase, calling the proposal and its timing “bewildering.”
“If implemented, it would be a self-inflicted blow to the UK’s tourism competitiveness,” Walsh said in a statement. “It’s time for the UK government to see the big picture. It has everything to gain by making the UK a more cost-competitive travel destination — including the substantial tax revenues that travelers generate. It makes no sense to discourage high-cost visitors even before they set foot in the country.”
Beyond the UK, the European Commission plans to roll out its own electronic authorization system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), sometime this year. The fee will be €7 ($7.27).
The US also has its own Electronic System for Travel Authorization (or ESTA), available to travelers from countries with a Visa Waiver Program. The application fee for ESTA is $21.
This is one less step required for our upcoming fight, although they list the layover exemption as temporary.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, January 25, 2015:
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