Fact Check: Do Nigerians Need ETA To Travel To The UK From November 2023?

Kazeem Badmus

An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will soon be a requirement for people who do not need a visa to come to the United Kingdom (UK) as this will give intending travellers permission to travel, and it will be electronically linked to your passport.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that ETA is needed to come to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or study.

It is also required to visit the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession transit through the UK – including if the person is not going through the country’s border control.

However, since the news broke, intending travellers from Nigeria have been asking if they also need to apply for the ETA.

According to information on one of the United Kingdom sites ‘GOV.UK’, the ETA is not for travellers from all the countries now.

The countries that can apply for ETA for now include, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.

“If you’re from Qatar
You’ll need an ETA if you’re travelling on or after 15 November 2023. You’ll be able to apply from 25 October.

“If you’re from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates
You’ll need an ETA if you’re travelling to the UK on or after 22 February 2024. You’ll be able to apply from 1 February 2024.

“If you’re from another country, you do not need to apply for an ETA now. More nationalities will be added to the scheme later,” the information stated.

Also, the information shows that persons with British or Irish passport, permission to live, work or study in the United Kingdom and a visa to enter the UK did not need an ETA.

So do Nigerians require an ETA to travel to the country after obtaining their visas? No. The information available on the United Kingdom Government Official Website ‘GOV.UK’ shows that Nigerians do not need an ETA to travel to the UK.