It most certainly is not nonsense! It means that people who do not respect our laws don’t even get to get on a plane m - football hooligans, people who don’t pay parking and speeding fines etc.
You are kidding, aren‘t you??
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Parking and speeding fines are already picked up on entry from outside Schengen into Switzerland. Likewise hooligans can already be banned from travelling.
Real criminals and organised crime will simply laugh…
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I wonder if you can apply for an ETA if you don’t have a trip planned. Was thinking it would be good for my husband to always have a valid one incase we need to go over in a family emergency situation.
I imagine it will work like the Australian system and all be online and payment by card. Info updated in the computer in seconds…
I don’t think that’s necessary. According to the website: “You must apply for an ETA before you travel to the UK. You can travel to the UK while waiting for a decision.”
Some nationalities can’t even apply yet. There are different implementation dates for nationals of different countries:
One needs an ETA even if transiting airside and not actually entering the country, so add another few bucks to your travel expenses!
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Swiss nationals cannot apply before 5 March and require one from 5 April. From that link.
… unless they have parking fines 
I don’t quiet get it: Switzerland is also asking for entry-fees from April, like the UK does??
And then what? Hang around the border for a few days? Is it okay to take along a tent?
SIGH!
Can we not tell them stupid Tommies to chill the fuck out?
I’ll take a wild guess. They know that this system is going to have wrinkles, particularly if people need to travel on short notice before or during the initial implementation. Odds are that loads of transit passengers will get caught out, maybe only when they go to check in for their flights. I suppose eventually they’ll phase out the ability to travel whilst awaiting authorization.
In a functioning administration most glitches should already be weened out as the scheme has been active for an extended period, a year or more, for some countries (the middle east IIRC).
The maximum fee for the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will rise from £15 to £16. Introduced in Autumn 2023 with an initial chargeable fee of £10, the ETA scheme’s fee is expected to align with the new maximum. The increase is anticipated to generate an additional £140 million for the Home Office in the 2025/26 fiscal year.
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Isn’t this all part of the visa/EU ESS/EITAS thing too?
Major change coming to passport control - and British tourists will be happy
Not really, it’s about using facial recognition software instead of looking at the passport.
Isn’t that what ESS/EITAS is supposed to do too though? Facial recognition and fingerprints.
Actually no, it’s about returning British nationals to Britain.
When I return to Switzerland I don’t show my passport to a human, I stick it into a machine. Perhaps someday the machine will recognise me before I pull out my passport.
I find it risky as 100% recognition cannot be guaranteed.
As a dual national, Swiss and non-EU, which passport should I use?
Your US passport will get you bonus points.
Where?
Aarrrhhggh! I just downloaded their app. Had to take a photo of the key passport page, failed four times. Finally worked then had to scan the chip in the passport. Failed, back to take picture of passport page, failed, again, failed, again, worked scan chip, failed.
Finally got it to work. They want £10, OK which country are you in? Switzerland, sorry we don’t take your currency you have to pay in euros. I want to pay in pounds not possible! So I pay in Euros, double exchange loss.
Submitted and got approval almost immediately but from a week next Tuesday (the second). Why not tomorrow?
Thank goodness I don’t need to do this again for two years and 11 days!
P.S. Not my US passport, cause I don’t have one. They did ask if I was a dual citizen which I truthfully answered. They didn’t want any details of second passport.
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