Grenadians asked to take advantage of UK ETA for travel from January 8

Grenadian nationals are being encouraged to utilize the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the United Kingdom, three months after London revealed that citizens of 48 countries and territories could apply for ETA authorization from November 27, 2024. A number of Caribbean nations are on the list, including Grenada. 

Sources in the Grenadian government said starting January 8, all visitors who do not require a visa will need an ETA to travel to the UK. 

“This forms the thrust of the UK government’s to digitize its border and immigration system to enhance security and improve the experience for travellers. Migrants in the UK with physical immigration documents should take action now to access the e-visa and benefit from its features,” it said, adding the Resident British Commissioner to Grenada Victor Clark told it that ETAs are digitally linked to the travellers’ passports to ensure that more robust security checks are carried out before people begin their journey to the UK.

Clark said the ETA allows multiple visits to the UK with a stay of up to six months at a time.

ETA application procedure simple, says British official in Grenada

He said while the process of application for a UK visa is a reasonably long and rigorous one taking around six to eight weeks and has requirements such as biometrics (Grenadians have to travel to Barbados for that and hence can face more expenses), application for ETAs is a much streamlined and quick one. One has to have a Grenadian passport and would have to fill out a short form online. 

Clark said it would cost £10 (US$12.6) to apply for an ETA and it can be paid online. The information one would have to provide is about his/her contact and passport details, upload a digital photograph, and answer security questions like the purpose of the visit. “The whole process should not take more than 10 minutes,” the commissioner told Grenada Information Service News.

The goal of the ETA is in line with the approach many of the countries have taken to enhance border security, including the United States and Australia. The ETA will extend to eligible Europeans from March 5, 2025, who will need an ETA to travel from April 2 of the same year. 

The ETA scheme is mainly for visitors who do not require a visa for short stays in the UK, or those who do not have a UK immigration status before travelling. One’s eligibility to apply for UK ETA depends on the date of travel and his/her nationality as mentioned in the passport. Apart from Grenada, some of the other Caribbean countries that were mentioned in the ETA-eligible list are Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Barbados, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Vincent and Grenadines, among others. 

The decision by the UK is considered a part of its post-Brexit reforms to improve border security and manage migrants visiting the country more effectively.