UK Plans a 'Permit in Advance' Scheme for Travel to the United Kingdom

The BBC has reported that the UK is planning to introduce a new 'permit in advance' scheme for travel to the United Kingdom. It forms part of a wider move towards a fully digital border, which the Home Office says will help keep out dangerous criminals and make it easier to count arrivals accurately.

As of May 2021, the proposal is a reported plan rather than a measure that is already in force. But the direction of travel is clear, and frequent visitors to the UK may want to understand how the system could work.

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How the planned permit would work

Under the proposals, the planned Electronic Travel Authorisation System (ETAS/ETA) would apply to non-citizens who wish to visit the UK and are entitled to come visa-free for short stays. Rather than simply turning up at the border, these travellers would have to fill in an online form before they arrive in the country.

The form and the information entered would be checked against security databases. Travellers would only be able to make their journey once they have been cleared, allowing the authorities to screen arrivals in advance instead of relying solely on checks at the frontier.

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How it compares to ESTA and ETIAS

The UK's planned scheme is similar in concept to the United States' ESTA programme and the European Union's ETIAS, which comes into force next year. All three systems share the same basic idea: visa-exempt travellers register online and are checked against databases before they are allowed to travel.

If you regularly cross borders, it helps to understand how these pre-travel permits fit together. You can read our overview of how travel authorisation systems work to see how the UK's proposal, ESTA and ETIAS compare — and what each one means for visa-free visitors planning a trip.