Travel & Visa Requirements

Travelling to the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Visitors to the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) require a valid passport. ID Cards from European countries are no longer sufficient.

In addition, from 2025 most foreign visitors to the United Kingdom who travel there for tourism or transiting the UK have to apply for electronic travel authorisation (ETA).

To receive an ETA, travellers must fill out an online form and pay a £10 fee (approximately US $12.75). Applicants should hear if their authorisation has been approved within a few hours, but in some cases, a decision may take up to three business days. The authorisation is valid for multiple entries to the UK for stays of up to six months and is valid for a two-year period or until the traveller’s passport expires – whichever comes first. 

To underscore, this is a major change to the UK’s travel regulations. For example, all non-resident US citizens in Ireland, including children, will be required to have a valid ETA when traveling to UK, even when traveling by land between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.  

Full up-to-date information on who is required to obtain an ETA and how to apply before coming to the UK can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta.

Travelling to Ireland

Foreign visitors to Ireland require a valid passport. 

For European travelers, ID Cards from their European home country may be sufficient.

Note that while Ireland is a member of the European Union, it is not part of the Schengen Area, the region of Europe without border checks between countries. This means that if you travel to Ireland from another part of the Schengen Area (i.e. most countries in mainland Europe), you will pass through an immigration checkpoint and have to show your passport or national identity card.

For travel requirements to Ireland from different countries check https://www.irishimmigration.ie/.

Travelling to Portugal or Spain

Foreign visitors to EU Countries such as Portugal & Spain require a valid passport.

For European travelers, ID Cards from their European home country may be sufficient, or you may not have to pass through immigration at all if you are travelling within the Schengen Area.

Note: Please read the information below and familiarise yourself with the impending launch of the EES & ETIAS, as when launched, it will impact non-EU visitors travelling to Portugal & Spain.

EES & ETIAS

Entry/Exit system (EES)

Starting in 2025, and after several delays, the EU is planning to introduce a new automated registration system, called Entry/Exit system (EES), for UK and other non-EU travellers who don’t require a visa to enter the EU. 

It will apply when entering all EU member states, with the exception of Ireland and Cyprus.

Travellers who are not legal EU citizens or residents will need to scan their passports or other travel documents at a self-service kiosk each time they cross an EU external border. The system will register the traveller’s name, biometric data, and the date and place of entry and exit. Facial scans and fingerprint data will be taken every three years and are valid for multiple trips within that period. 

Full up-to-date information on the EES and how it is going to work can be found here: ttps://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en

At the time of writing, no exact starting date for the EES had been provided and we recommend you check the above link before you commence your journey.

European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)

Within 6 months of the start of the EES, the EU will also require a new travel authorisation for visa-exempt foreigners from 60 nations (including the UK, US, Canada and Australia) before they are allowed to enter most EU nations, including Spain and Portugal. However, as with the EES, the ETIAS is not going to apply if you are travelling to Ireland.

Similar to the ETA in the UK, this new programme, called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), requires short-term travellers to apply online, pay a small fee (around €7 – roughly US $7.40 or £5.80) and then wait up to 96 hours for applications to be approved.

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

At the time of writing, no exact starting date for the ETIAS had been provided and we recommend you check the above link before you commence your journey.