Travel authorization now required for the United Kingdom: its guide to apply

As we have reportedNow you need travel authorization to visit the United Kingdom. The British call it an electronic travel authorization.

The application for Americans and other nationalities Opened in November to travel from the New Year, and several of us on TPG have already gone through the process.

In general, there are some things to take into account, but it is quite simple, and I should be able to follow these instructions for an application without pain.

Download the ETA application of the United Kingdom

As the United Kingdom government website points out, the easiest way to run is through the official government application, available in iOS and Android.

Be sure to request only through the Gov.uk website or the official application: other sites “will help” your application, but will charge unnecessary rates. The ETA should only cost 10 British pounds (around $ 13).

Note that if you cannot access the application for any reason, you can Apply online. But in my case, I simply downloaded the application and applied directly on my phone.

Once the application opens, it will guide it through the process. First, you must send an email and verify it with a six -digit code.

Once you have verified your phone number and email, you can go to the most difficult part.

Use of the application to photograph and scan your passport

The next step is where some people are stumbled. You must use the application to photograph your passport and then scan the chip on your passport.

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That gold symbol on the front of the previous passport means that a microchip is embedded inside. (Do not worry if your passport does not have a biometric chip or cannot get it to scan; you can still get a travel authorization, but you must do it online through the link provided above).

Once you have finished photographing your passport, the images in the application ask you to move your phone up and down on the front cover to scan the electronic chip.

That did not work at the beginning for me. At first it did not work for my colleague Lyndsey Matthews when he requested earlier this month.

“That was the most complicated part,” said Lyndsey. “I finally got it to scan correctly after four failed attempts. Own: Remove the case from your cell phone.”

Fortunately, the application will at least tell you if you can’t find the chip.

For me, it finally worked when I held my phone about the back From my passport. Apparently, in many US passports, the electronic chip is actually inside the posterior cover, not on the front.

Take a photo for travel authorization

He must then scan his face to show that he is a human and then take a passport style photo.

Keep in mind that you will need a smooth white background without shadows. That travels many people.

“I had to resume it three times to make sure there were no shadows on my face and that the background was white,” said Lyndsey.

I also had to resume my photo several times for one to work. Some users report that lighting a Selfie Flash also helps a lot, although I didn’t end up needing to go so far because I had direct sunlight on my face.

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Take the instructions of your photos. Gov.uk

“I used Apple Pay through my BILT MASTERCARD® And $ 12.97 was charged, “said Lyndsey.” You can also pay with Google Pay or a credit or debit card. Because I used my mastercard bilt on February 1, I obtained a bonus of the day of the double points at the application rate. “

Note: Bilt card holders must use the card five times each declaration period to obtain points (see rewards and benefits).

Once you have completed your payment, the application will show a successful application message with an ET reference number.

Most users should receive their authorization in a matter of minutes, but the United Kingdom government warns that it can take up to three business days to obtain authorization, so it could be better to err by caution and apply long before their trip.

I received an email immediately, confirming that my application was pending, and, a minute later, another email that says it had been approved.

My colleagues Tanner Saunders and Lyndsay Matthews also received emails with their approval in approximately three minutes. Look for electronic emails from the visas and immigration house of the United Kingdom to track your application.

“Since Etas is linked to the passport with which it applies, I didn’t have to print anything,” said Lyndsey. “When I stood in Heathrow, I continued through Epassport’s door as usual and left terminal 3 to catch the Heathrow Express in five minutes.”

Travel authorization is good for two years or until your passport expires, whatever before. You can also travel to the United Kingdom as many times as you want in the same ETA.

End

The application process for the new travel authorization of the United Kingdom is quite painless if it has a passing familiarity with technology. The additional expense and the steps to visit the United Kingdom can be annoying, but the predictions of long lines and the travel chaos in the entrance ports have been exaggerated so far.

With luck, when the European Union is deployed Your own version At some point in 2025, it will be equally simple.

Related reading:

See Tariffs and Tariffs of Bilt Mastercard here.
See Bilt Mastercard Rewards and Benefits here.