UK ETA for Greek Citizens

The United Kingdom (UK) electronic travel authorization (ETA) for Greek citizens is a digital travel permit that allows citizens of eligible nationalities to travel to the UK for specific short-term purposes, including business, tourism, and short-term study courses (under 6 months). While Greek citizens now must obtain a UK ETA before traveling to the country.

The UK ETA system for citizens of Greece is a new initiative by the UK government to secure the borders and make the country safer. The initial UK ETA launch date was October 25, 2023, for Qatari nationals and was extended in February 2024 to include citizens of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. However, in September 2024, Jordan was removed from the list of UK ETA-eligible countries.

Today, the ETA for the UK is available to nationals of 83 new countries, thanks to a recent decision by the UK government to extend the list of eligible nationalities in two waves. The first wave extended the UK ETA scheme to include 49 non-European nationalities, while the second further opened it up to 34 European nationalities, including Greeks. The UK ETA is the same for both European and non-European nationals.

As for when does the UK ETA start being a requirement for Greek citizens, all Greek nationals must hold a UK ETA when traveling to the UK on or after April 2, 2025. Applications open March 5, 2025, giving prospective visitors plenty of time to prepare their travel plans.

The UK ETA is valid for two years and digitally links to the holder’s passport. If the passport expires within the two-year window, the ETA will also become void. The UK ETA is only issued to travelers for specific purposes.

You might be wondering who needs an ETA for the UK. Any citizen of an eligible country visiting the UK for the following reasons will need to obtain an ETA:

• To engage in tourism, visit family and friends, conduct a short business trip, or enroll in a short study course for 6 months or less.
• To travel on a Creative Worker visa concession for up to three months.
• To attend or participate in paid engagements such as conferences, events, or other permitted activities.
• To transit through the UK, if the holder goes through border control.

The UK welcomed 240,000 visits from Greece in 2023. During the visits, the total expenditure was £183.8 million, with an average spend of £766 per visit. Most visits to the UK from Greece are made by plane. The scheduled seat capacity of those flights increased post-COVID-19 pandemic by 29% from 2019 to 2023.

In 2023, there are 571 weekly aircraft departures from Greece to Britain bringing citizens of various countries. There are 18 airports that have direct routes to Britain and 21 airports in Britain have direct flights to Greece. Needless to say, the two countries share quite a bit of back-and-forth travel.

• The UK ETA is digitally linked to the holder’s passport. Therefore, holders must use the same passport they used when applying for the ETA to travel to the UK.
  This applies especially to those with multiple passports.
• The UK ETA is a travel permit that allows holders to travel to the UK. However, it does not guarantee entry into the country, which is determined by the border officials at the port of entry. Border officials will verify that the passport and UK ETA are linked and may ask additional UK ETA questions and request other documents. Travelers from Germany should be prepared to cross the border cooperatively when they arrive in the UK.
• After passing border control, Greek nationals with a UK ETA are free to enjoy their trip in the UK for up to 6 months. They can visit many tourist destinations, see friends and family, or even learn a new skill in a short study course. They can explore the UK and get a taste of what England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have to offer!