The UK Home Office has announced that British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport holders will no longer be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before traveling to the United Kingdom.
This decision expands the existing exemption, which previously applied only to BNO visa holders.
In a letter dated March 3, Migration and Citizenship Minister Seema Malhotra confirmed the change, stating that the UK government has reconsidered the ETA requirement for BNO passport holders after reviewing the available evidence.
“This decision has been made on the basis of the close ties that the BN(O) community has with the UK, the historical commitments made to them and, critically, the fact that just like for British citizens with passports, it is the UK issuing their travel documents,” Malhotra wrote in the letter.
She said the Home Office would amend the immigration rules at the earliest opportunity to reflect the updated policy.
Prior to this exemption, since January 2024, all eligible non-European nationals, including most Hongkongers, were required to obtain an ETA before traveling to the UK, unless they already held UK immigration status, such as a BNO visa.
The ETA is a digital travel permit introduced to enhance UK border security. Each ETA permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years, or until the holder’s passport expires if that is sooner. The application fee for the ETA is £10.
Read more: You must pay 10 for ID check to enter UK
