While you can still travel to the UK freely right now, Singaporean citizens who want to the UK from next year will be required to obtain a UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), similar to the one you get to travel to the USA or Australia. The ETA will be required for entry to the UK (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) from Jan 8, 2025 and Singaporean passport holders will be allowed to apply for their UK ETA in advance from Nov 27, 2024.
In a bizarre move, an ETA will be required even for everyone who’s transiting at a UK airport for a short time between international flights. That means those who’re simply changing planes at the airport will need to have an ETA.
It is not a visa
Just to clarify things, the ETA isn’t a visa – it’s a digital permission to travel. Since it’s only for travellers who don’t normally require a visa to travel there for short stays, it’s part of the digitisation of their border by 2025 to enhance border security and streamline the immigration process for pre-verified, low-risk travellers.
The system also aims to help prevent illegal immigration, thwart organised crime syndicates, and identify potential threats to national security before they even arrive on UK soil.
The ETA has been introduced to a few countries in stages since November 2023, with the Middle East being their first batch. The UK government is currently rolling it out to citizens from 65 other non-European countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and more. The ETA will only apply for citizens from European nations from March 5, 2025.
Applying for the ETA
The easiest way to apply for an ETA is through the UK ETA app (iOS or Android). Applications can also be made on the UK government’s website for those who don’t have access to a smartphone.
Applications will be processed within three working days but it could be sooner if you use the UK ETA app. If granted, the ETA will be linked to the passport you used to apply, so there’s no need to print it out. The process is done entirely online, and takes under 20 minutes. Here’s what you need to do:
- Take or upload a photo of the passport you will use to travel to the UK.
- Scan your face with your device, if it has a camera.
- Take or upload a photo of yourself.
- Answer some questions about yourself.
- Pay for your application.
A UK ETA costs £10 (S$17). It permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to 180 days at a time over a period of two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.
It should be stressed that the ETA isn’t applicable to those who plan to be in the UK for over six months – such as for work or studies – since a relevant visa is required for those purposes. And those who already have existing UK visas (both long- and short-term) are exempt from requiring an ETA.
Not that a UK ETA does not allow entry to the Republic of Ireland and other European countries, since the UK isn’t part of the EU.
If you’re planning on travelling to the rest of Europe from next year, you’ll also need to apply for the EU’s upcoming European Travel Information Authorization System (ETIAS) which will be operational sometime in 2025, and will cost €7 (S$10). The ETIAS is valid for 3 years from date of issue, and applications should be submitted at least 96 hours before departure.
