Swiss need entry permit to travel to UK from Wednesday

Entry to the United Kingdom from Wednesday only with authorisation Keystone-SDA

From Wednesday, a passport will no longer be sufficient for travelling to the United Kingdom. Travellers from Switzerland will also need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).

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This is required for travelling to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The entry permit, which costs the equivalent of around CHF11.50 and is linked to the passport, is valid for two years and only needs to be renewed after that. This can be done via an app or online.

From April 9, the ETA will even cost £16 (the equivalent of around CHF18.20). Anyone flying or travelling without an application will either be denied boarding by the airlines or refused entry at passport control.

Essentially, the ETA is an additional security check, and the British government can also expect millions in additional revenue. A photo of your passport must be uploaded to the “UK ETA” app, as well as a photo of your face if you are over the age of nine.

Job, penalties, war crimes

The following questions must also be answered: Do you have a job? Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence? Have you ever been involved in any of the following offences or suspected of having committed any of the following offences? (War crimes, genocide or crimes against humanity, terrorism, including support for or membership of a terrorist organisation, support for extremist groups or expression of extremist views)

Confirmation of entry authorisation should usually come quickly due to automated processing, but the British government states a processing time of up to three working days.

The ETA authorises several trips and stays of up to six months in a two-year period. It is therefore also possible to study for a short period (up to six months).

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

This the title of article has been adapted on April 2, 2025, as it had wrongly stated Swiss citizens need a visa to travel to the UK. They just need an entry permit they can obtain online.

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