February 2025


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CALLS FOR ETA Scheme EXEMPTION


... continued from Page 1


IT IS feared that around £210m will be lost from NI’s tourism revenue, should the flow of international tourists into the Province be impeded by the requirements.


The DfE reported that 67% of Northern Ireland’s overseas travellers arrive via the Republic of Ireland and until now, international visitors have been able to travel between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland without separate paperwork requirements. Alliance Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood said that “seamless cross- border travel is vital to Northern Ireland’s tourism industry, with 70% of international visitors entering via the Republic of Ireland. “All-island tourism is marketed internationally under the principles of the Good Friday Agreement, and as a co-guarantor of the Agreement, the UK Government has a duty to uphold its spirit by ensuring seamless cross- border travel. “I will continue to push for a fair solution that protects our tourism sector and ensures Northern Ireland remains an attractive destination for international visitors.”


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The new regulations only affect international visitors, UK and Irish citizens, and permanent Irish residents, do not require an ETA. Outgoing Economy Minister Conor Murphy has previously urged the UK Home Office for an NI exemption in the implementation of the new Electronic


Travel Authorisation


(ETA) scheme following fears that NI’s tourism revenue is at risk. Mr Murphy said he had held a meeting with Seema Malhotra MP, Home Office Minister for Migration and


Citizenship, to outline his


concerns. Speaking following the meeting, Mr Murphy said: “I have made it clear to Minister Malhotra that solutions to the ETA Scheme are needed to protect the north’s tourism sector. “Ideally a complete exemption should be introduced for those crossing into the north but not travelling on to Britain. “At the very least a time-limited exemption for people visiting up to seven days would cover most of our international visitors. “The existing exemption for French school groups shows that a solution is perfectly possible.


changes to immigration fees and services, increase the fee maximum for an ETA to £16.


“Minister Murphy has responded


to Minister Malhotra to convey his disappointment at this significant 60% price increase and to stress that this makes it even more important that a pragmatic solution is found to protect our local tourism sector.


Minister


Archibald will continue to push for a resolution to this matter.” City of Derry Airport has called the introduction of the ETA “an unwanted barrier to NI’s tourism growth plans.” Steve Frazer, Managing Director of City of Derry Airport said: “The ETA introduction presents an unwanted barrier to NI’s tourism growth plans. Whilst it remains to be seen how our international


visitors will react in


terms of numbers to the cost or hassle; what we can say with certainty is that it will not do anything to support our growth plans and most likely have a negative impact.


A similar,


pragmatic, and flexible approach could be taken by the Home Office to avoid damaging tourism growth in the north. “Our all-island economy is vital, and seamless all-island travel is key to building on the growth we have seen in our tourism sector.” In an update,


following the


announcement that Caoimhe Archibald has been newly appointed to the position of Economy Minister, a spokesperson for Northern Ireland’s DfE said: “Minister Malhotra (the Migration and Citizenship Minister at the UK Home Office) wrote to Minister Murphy on 17 January to advise him that she had laid draft legislation that will, among other


“Other countries do have similar requirements, and it is unlikely that the UK government are willing to recognise the unique geography here, meaning free movement across the island physically now being coupled with a virtual border for many visitors, and no clarity on how this will be policed. “We believe that cases for exclusions and waivers must be applied to ensure minimal impact to our economic growth. Engagement with industry stakeholders needs maximised to facilitate clarity and ease of compliance for those affected.


“The high levels of cross-industry concern should be recognised by revisiting


this blanket policy with


a greater common-sense approach, understanding of our unique geography and how our tourism ambitions can be supported rather than impeded.”


CONTENTS | 3


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Joss Croft OBE and Chief Executive of UKinbound commented that, “The decision to increase Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) costs by 60% is a staggering blow to the UK’s tourism industry and businesses across the country. This change comes at the worst time, just as ETA requirements for all non-visa national visitors are rolled out from 2 April.” Croft continued, “There is a false assumption that international visitors will continue to choose the UK, even if we hike up prices. International tourism is a competitive industry and the two key motivators to visit a destination are value for money and the quality of welcome. This move damages our standing on both fronts.”


A Government spokesperson said that the UK government “are committed


to working closely


with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure the ETA requirement is communicated effectively and to mitigate against it being seen as a barrier to cross-border tourism on Ireland.”


Travellers can apply for an ETA through the official Gov.UK app or online, with warnings issued to be aware of third party sites. The current cost of an ETA is £10, which is non-refundable. According to recent information,


the UK’s Electronic


Travel Authorization (ETA) price increase is proposed to come into effect on April 2, 2025, which is when EU Citizens travelling to the UK will also be permitted to apply for an ETA.


The application process takes roughly 20 minutes with applicants required to submit a photo of their passport and answer questions about their reasons for travel. The application process must be completed in one go with decisions typically made within 3 days. You do not need to apply for an


ETA if: You are a British or Irish citizen, you live in Ireland, and are travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man, you have a visa, you are travelling with a British Overseas territories citizen passport or you have permission to live, work, or study in the UK


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