All Spanish citizens, who do not have a visa or legal residence in the United Kingdom, will have to present an electronic travel authorization (ETA) for tourism, business or other visits of less than six months of stay in the country and who do not have a visa. This has been reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Spain on its website.
This new requirement, which follows the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union in 2020, will come into effect this Wednesday, April 2 and must also be met by Spanish minors, including babies. In addition, it only allows you to stay in the territory for six months, you will not be able to carry out paid or voluntary work, unless you have a Creative Worker visa or carry out a permitted paid activity, such as an artist, musician, athlete, lecturer or lawyer, among others.
The electronic travel authorization will be necessary even for those who make a stopover in the United Kingdom and have to re-check their luggage or go through border control. Meanwhile, those citizens who do not need to go through border control during a stopover in the country will not have to present this document. This last assumption only occurs in Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport.
How to process the authorization?
To obtain the authorization, it must be processed electronically, before traveling to the United Kingdom, through gov.uk/app. Detailed information for this procedure is also included on the web of Foreign Affairs.
In addition to which, European citizens arriving at the place will have to present their valid passport.
This process costs 10 pounds (11.9 euros) and from April 9 it will amount to 16 pounds (19.1 euros).
Who should not ask for it?
In several cases it is not necessary to issue this permit. Among them, if you are a British or Irish citizen, if you have dual nationality and a valid British or Irish passport, or a valid passport containing a certificate of entitlement. At the same time, if you have a visa or residence permit to live, work or study, as well as a passport for citizens of British overseas territories.
In addition, if you live in Ireland and travel from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, it will not be necessary to hand it over.