EU citizens do not need a visa for visits and business trips to the UK lasting up to 180 days. Previously, a passport was sufficient. From 2 April 2025, however, you will also need an electronic entry permit, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), if you do not have any other residence permit.
More information for a cruise to and from Great Britain:
Online registration via government portal
Since 5 March, the ETA portal of the British government for online registration. The application must be submitted separately for each individual traveller (including children), regardless of the method of entry, whether by plane, car or water. It can also be submitted via the "UK ETA" app (available free of charge in the App Store or Google Play Store and currently costs ten British pounds (the equivalent of around twelve euros). However, the price is set to rise to the equivalent of 19 euros in the coming months. The European Consumer Centre advises that applications should only be made via the official government website or app. Intermediaries - which pop up when you google the ETA - usually charge higher fees and there have already been cases of fraud.
Apply for an ETA in good time
According to the British Home Office, the "vast majority" of applications are decided automatically within minutes. The authorisation is sent to you by email. Officially, however, processing can take up to 72 hours, so travellers should submit their application well in advance. Once you have the ETA, you have peace of mind for two years at best and can travel to England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales as often as you like - at least as long as the passport linked to the ETA is valid. If this expires, a new ETA must be applied for with the new passport - even if the old ETA is still valid. In total, a successfully applied for ETA authorises several trips and stays of up to six months within a period of two years.
What is the ETA and what do you need for it?
The ETA is a digital security check for all those travelling to the UK without a visa. Amongst other things, any previous criminal convictions are checked. In addition to answering the security questions and providing information about their address and place of work, a photo of their passport must be uploaded, as well as a photo of their face for anyone over the age of nine.
The British government hopes that this will lead to "better security checks to prevent abuse of our immigration system". It is also expected to generate billions in additional revenue. A similar regulation applies in the United States, where the electronic entry authorisation is called ESTA. In the European Union, the ETIAS travel authorisation is to be introduced this year.
Jill Grigoleit
Editor Travel
