In 2024, the UK expects to require Americans to obtain travel permits.

Tourists will starting next year need to obtain a new electronic travel authorization in order to enter the nation as part of the UK's drive to fully automate borders by 2025.

Americans who travel there without a visa are subject to this rule.

The U.K. government announced on Thursday that it would officially launch the ETA system in October, just for travelers from Qatar.

Beginning in February 2024, travelers from Jordan and the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council will be able to start requesting for an ETA.

The present Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) Scheme, which charges GCC travelers to the UK a higher fee for a single-use visit, will be completely replaced by the new program, according to the U.K. government, which announced the change on Thursday. 

Travelers from other nations, especially Americans, should anticipate needing to apply for an ETA in order to visit the U.K. by the end of the next year.

According to the Home Office, ETAs will be necessary for all tourists who are just planning brief stays and do not require a visa. This includes travelers from Europe.
"Visitors from Europe, as well as those from other countries like America and Australia, are not currently required to submit any kind of application in order to visit the UK; however, this will change with the introduction of ETAs."

Europeans and other visa-free visitors, including those from the United States, will keep their visa-free status after the ETA is implemented because it is not a visa, but they will need an ETA to enter the United Kingdom. 

Although U.K. officials haven't disclosed the price of a visa, comparable permits for visitors to other countries, such as Canada, the European Union, and the U.S., range in price from $5 to $21.

The long-awaited European Travel Information and Authorisation System visa program, which charges visitors a fee to enter EU countries, was supposed to go into effect in August 2022, but the EU postponed it until November 2023.
During stays of up to 90 days, including transit passengers, visitors from the US and the other 62 non-EU nations that are not currently obliged to apply for visas will need ETIAS authorization. The 7 euro ($7.40) cost is only applicable to visitors aged 18 to 70, but everyone must also get a permission.