What US citizens need to know about UK’s new travel requirements

People wishing to travel to the United Kingdom will soon need a new travel authorization to do so.

Starting on Jan. 8, United States citizens — including children — traveling to or through the United Kingdom for tourism, business or short-term study for six months or less will need an Electronic Travel Authorization, according to the United States Department of State Consular Affairs.

The Electronic Travel Authorization is a digital permit that allows travelers to go to the U.K. without a visa, according to Thales. This permit allows the country where a traveler is going to screen them before their arrival, increasing national security.

People wishing to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization can do so on the U.K.‘s ETA app. It takes about 10 minutes to apply and the turnaround decision usually takes about three business days, according to the United Kingdom’s government.

According to the U.K. government, you don’t need an Electronic Travel Authorization if you:

• Have a visa
• Have permission to live, work or study in the U.K.
• Are a British citizen or Irish citizen
• Are traveling with a British overseas territories citizen passport
• Live in Ireland and you are traveling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man

If you have an Electronic Travel Authorization you can’t:

• Stay in the U.K. for more than six months
• Do paid or unpaid work for a U.K. company or as a self-employed person. The only exception is if you are doing a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession
• Claim benefits
• Live in the U.K. through frequent or successive visits
• Marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership. To do this you will need to apply for a marriage visitor visa.