UK imposes online entry permit on Europeans
The changes, however, caused little disruption at Paris's Gare du Nord station as passengers began their Eurostar journey to London.
"So far we haven't had any passengers turned away," a member of Eurostar's staff told AFP.
Travellers from Europe now need a digital Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) permit, which UK officials said they were rolling out to boost security and streamline entry processes.
There will be a buffer period which could last several months.
The permit can be bought online for £10 (12 euros), but the price is rising swiftly from April 9 to £16.
The ETA has already been introduced for American, Canadian and other visa-exempt nationals visiting the UK, which left the European Union in 2020.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Global mobility crisis
Listen to article Henley & Partners has released its annual Henley Passport Index, placing Pakistan at 96th out of 99 positions — fourth from the bottom for the fourth consecutive year. The ranking is based on the number of visa-free and visa on arrival (VOA) countries that passport holders have access to, along with their ability to obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) which is a digital travel permit used as a pre-screening method for visa-exempt foreign nationals. While the strongest passport in the world, Singapore's, grants visa-free access to 193 countries, the Pakistani passport offers merely 32 visa-free locations. A 'weak' passport hinders citizens in many ways beyond increasing travel and visa costs. It creates barriers for entrepreneurs looking to expand their businesses internationally, forcing them to face long waiting times and visa rejections. Moreover, in the past, several domestic e-sports and gaming teams have even been disqualified from international tournaments due to visa-rejections and delayed embassy responses. In an increasingly global world, the degree of mobility that people in a country have largely determines their ability to advance and connect with the global economy. Without those connections, there is limited exposure, limited opportunity and limited competition on an international scale. Consistently ranking amongst the bottom five contenders for four years now should force the Pakistani government to divert its attention away from empty diplomatic posturing and instead direct it towards structural reforms that strengthen people's global integration. Especially when its bottom-ranking neighbours include Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan — some of the most war-torn countries devastated by active conflict and occupation. While strengthening a passport's ranking is no easy feat, it should at least be an objective that the Pakistani government actively pursues to ease its citizens' lives and improve its own standing on the global stage.
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Business Recorder
Pakistan remains among worst passports in Henley's latest ranking
Pakistan's passport continues to languish near the bottom of the Henley Passport Index 2025 – fourth-worst – ahead of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, according to the latest global rankings released on Tuesday. Singapore retained the title of the world's most powerful passport, with visa-free access to 193 destinations out of 227 globally, according to the index. The index includes data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ranks all the world's passports based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa. Asian nations continue to lead the global mobility race, with Japan and South Korea sharing 2nd place, each granting their citizens access to 190 destinations visa-free. A contingent of European countries occupied the rest of the Top 5. Seven EU passports share 3rd place – Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, all with access to 189 destinations. UAE was ranked 8th with a mobility score of 184, and the only country in the Middle East in the top 10. The UAE continues to be a standout among the top risers, shooting up 34 places over the last 10 years from 42nd to 8th place. Last month, Pakistan and the UAE signed a visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and official passports. Pakistani passport fourth-worst in the world: Henley Passport Index Dr Christian H. Kaelin, the inventor of the passport index concept, said the latest Henley Passport Index had revealed an increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility. 'The consolidation we're seeing at the top underscores that access is earned – and must be maintained– through active and strategic diplomacy,' she was quoted as saying in the press release issued by Henley on Tuesday. 'Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements continue to rise, while the opposite applies to those that are less engaged in such efforts.' Biggest movers and shakers The UK and US have each dropped a place in the global passport rankings since January, continuing a long-term downward trend. Once the most powerful passports in the world – the UK in 2015 and the US in 2014 – they now rank 6th and 10th, respectively. The UK currently has visa-free access to 186 destinations, while the US trails with 182. Notably, the US is now on the brink of exiting the Top 10 altogether for the first time in the index's 20-year history. India has recorded the largest jump in ranking over the past six months, climbing eight places from 85th to 77th, while Saudi Arabia has made the biggest gain in visa-free access, adding four destinations since January. Its total now stands at 91, lifting the kingdom four places to 54th. Pakistan, UAE sign visa exemption agreement for select passport holders
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Business Recorder
New $250 ‘visa integrity fee' to raise cost for visiting USA
Foreign travellers will soon have to pay a new 'visa integrity' fee, which is $250 initially and is likely to increase over the years based on inflation, to visit the United States. The new levy was imposed under a provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a domestic policy bill, which has recently been enacted by the Trump administration. The bill is expected to affect hundreds and thousands of visitors, as the fee applies to nearly all nonimmigrant visa categories, CNN reported. Those visiting as tourists and for business purpose, international students and others visiting temporarily will have to pay this fees. As per the State Department data, the US issued around 11 million nonimmigrant visas last year. Tourists and businessmen belonging to various European countries and Australia as well as other such countries which part of the Visa Waiver Program will not require to obtain visas for stays up to 90 days. As per the bill's provision, fees could be refunded to the travellers who comply with their visa conditions upon completion of their visit. In a recent post regarding the new policy, immigration lawyer Steven A. Brown, a partner at Houston-based Reddy Neumann Brown PC, described the fee as a 'refundable security deposit.' Brown said that the process for getting a refund is still not clear though. In an email to CNN, Brown said in terms of the purpose of the fee, 'it's hard to say.' 'Generally, immigration fees are to cover the expense of adjudication or issuance,' but he stated that the refund provision could mean reimbursing all of the fees submitted. 'In a perfect world, there would be no overstays or visa violations.' Quoting Brown as saying CNBC also reported that the fee has not been implemented as yet. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency establishing the new fee, believes it will reduce overstays by travellers, Forbes reported. The DHS has so far not specified about the refund process or any other aspects of the policy's rollout. 'The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation,' a DHS official told CNN. A State Department spokesperson said the levy was imposed 'to support the administration's priorities of strengthening immigration enforcement, deterring visa overstays, and funding border security.' The provision in the bill says fees that aren't reimbursed will be 'deposited into the general fund of the Treasury'. Meanwhile, the US Travel Association has raised concerns about the potential negative impact on tourism, especially with upcoming international events. The association called the fee 'a giant leap backwards.'
