UKs pre-travel permit for Taiwan visitors takes effect

• Staff writer, with CNA

Taiwanese passport holders must obtain a UK-issued electronic travel authorization (ETA) document to visit or transit through the UK, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

Taiwanese travelers who have enjoyed visa-free visits to the UK since March 2009 need to have the new digitally issued travel document to enter the UK starting from yesterday, the ministry said.

The British government Web site Gov.UK shows that the travel requirement is being introduced in phases, and by April, all visitors who do not need a visa would need an ETA.

Taiwanese, along with those from several visa-exempt countries, including the US, have been able to apply for an ETA since Nov. 27 last year for trips of up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study.

Travelers can apply for an ETA through the official “UK ETA” app for Android and iOS devices, or through Gov.UK.

The application costs ￡10 (US$12.35), and usually takes three working days to be processed, but could take longer, the site says.

A person who must depart before their application is approved, can travel to the UK while waiting for a decision, it says.

An ETA is valid for two years, but it does not guarantee entry to the UK, as immigration officers at the border have the final say, it says.

Similar travel requirements have been introduced for Taiwanese travelers to Australia, which requires an Electronic Travel Authority document, and the US, which has the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

Meanwhile, no date has been announced for the rollout of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for the Schengen Area or Cyprus for a short stay, due to delays in the installation of equipment at some airports in the area, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Taiwanese travelers eligible for visa-free visits to the area can still do so, until the ETIAS is officially introduced, it said.