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Starting Wednesday, new rules will transition the UK to a digital transit system, mandating eVisas for Indian travelers and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for visitors who don’t need visas. This process replaces paper visa stickers as part of a multi-year phased rollout. Although the new system still requires a physical visit to the application centre for biometric enrollment, it eliminates the need to surrender the passport during processing. “I urge anyone planning to travel to the UK to ensure they are travel-ready with the proper permission, making their journey far smoother,” said Mike Tapp, UK Minister for Migration and Citizenship. Visitors to the UK must obtain digital travel permission, enabling airlines to deny boarding to passengers lacking an eVisa, ETA, or other valid documentation. The UK government introduced the eVisa system last year, accepting physical documents during the transition period until this week. “An eVisa cannot be lost, stolen, or altered, and it lets visa holders instantly and securely verify their immigration status.” “Switching won’t alter, affect, or eliminate a customer’s existing rights or immigration status,” the Home Office stated at the time. As part of efforts to completely digitize the UK border and immigration system, individuals relying on physical biometric residence permits (BRPs), passports with visa vignette stickers or ink stamps verifying “indefinite leave to enter/remain,” or biometric residence cards (BRCs) as proof of their immigration status have been migrated to a fully digital UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) system. The Home Office noted it has been gradually eliminating physical documents for years via this shift to eVisas, with more than 10 million issued so far. All eVisa holders, including those under the EU Settlement Scheme, must update their UKVI account with their latest passport information to prevent travel issues, it added. Nationals from 85 countries, such as the United States, Canada, and France, who don’t need visas, are now legally obligated to obtain an ETA for UK travel. An ETA costs £16, allows multiple entries, and is valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. “The ETA scheme is essential to bolstering UK border security, providing a more streamlined and contemporary service that benefits visitors and the British public alike,” said Minister Tapp. The Home Office highlighted that the UK’s ETA fee is competitive, comparable to the US ESTA at $40 and the EU’s forthcoming ETIAS at €20. British and Irish citizens, including dual nationals, are exempt from the ETA requirement but must show a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement when entering the UK. “This mirrors practices in other nations, such as the US, Australia, and Canada.” Carriers may, at their discretion, accept certain expired British passports as alternative documents, according to the Home Office. ETAs are also required for visitors traveling to the UK for connecting flights who pass through passport control. Official data shows that since the ETA launched in October 2023, more than 19 million visitors have successfully applied, generating over £383 million in revenue to reinvest in the UK’s border and immigration system. From Thursday onward, “Certificates of Entitlement” will be issued digitally, allowing a single application rather than having them expire with passports. “Enforcing the ETA scheme marks a key advancement in digitizing the immigration system and sets the stage for a fully contactless UK border moving forward.” The scheme also bolsters UK border security by blocking entry from individuals who present a threat,” the Home Office said. “Using the UK ETA app to apply is fast and straightforward, with most applicants now getting an automated decision in minutes, so impromptu UK trips are still feasible. “That said, visitors should still plan for up to three working days ahead of travel to get their decision on time, including the rare cases needing further checks,” it noted. ETA applicants must submit biographic and biometric information, plus answer a few suitability and criminality questions, before the approval is digitally tied to their passport. Shifting to eVisas forms a core part of the UK government’s push to digitize its border and immigration system, swapping physical documents for digital immigration status records for nearly all new visa holders and most existing ones in the UK.