El Salvador Joins Mexico and Others as UK Tightens Travel Rules

(UNITED KINGDOM) The UK has issued an urgent UK travel advisory and rolled out sweeping changes to visa rules and entry requirements that will affect millions of visitors as the government pushes ahead with a new digital border regime. From early 2025, travelers from countries including El Salvador, Mexico, South Africa, Costa Rica, Italy and Dominica will be required to secure an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or a visitor visa before boarding, with officials warning of tougher checks and lengthier processing amid the transition.

At the heart of the changes is the expansion of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to most short‑term visitors. Eligible non‑European nationals, including those from El Salvador, Mexico, South Africa, Costa Rica and Dominica, will need an ETA for travel from 8 January 2025, with applications opening on 27 November 2024. Eligible European visitors, including Italian nationals, will be brought into the same system from 2 April 2025, with applications opening on 5 March 2025. The UK Home Office said:

“The ETA simply gives visitors permission to travel to the UK, it does not guarantee entry.”
Officials described the rollout as part of a “continued aim to both digitise and fortify the current UK immigration system.”

The ETA, which costs £10 and is valid for multiple entries over six months within a two‑year period, will be mandatory for short stays, including tourism and family visits, though it is not a work visa and does not itself provide permission to enter on arrival. The government has also emphasized that this digital pre‑clearance is not a visa in the traditional sense, nor does it allow employment. In an accompanying explanation of the policy shift, the government said the measures are designed to “digitise and fortify the current UK immigration system by creating travel records of those who previously could have travelled to the UK without a visa.”

The shift to pre‑travel screening comes alongside changes to the Visa National List that will push some travelers into the full visitor visa route instead of the ETA. Jordan was moved onto the list with immediate effect in October 2024, a change that meant Jordanian nationals could no longer use pre‑travel authorization but had to apply for a visa before visiting the UK. From 14 October 2025, Botswana will also require a visitor visa, removing eligibility for an ETA and adding several weeks of processing and documentation in many cases.

The policy changes arrive as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updates its country‑by‑country travel advice, with El Salvador singled out in recent weeks for security warnings tied to an ongoing state of exception that expands police powers. The FCDO warns:

“Mistreatment and human rights violations, sometimes resulting in death, happen in detention facilities”
UK officials say the combination of domestic border digitization and external risk assessments means travelers should expect more screening at multiple points of their journeys, particularly where security concerns or law enforcement crackdowns are noted in official advisories.

As the UK builds out its digital border architecture, travelers have reported longer processing times, heavier documentation requests and stricter border scrutiny. Under the new system, ETA decisions can take up to three business days, though the Home Office says many will be faster. But the expansion to Europeans in April 2025 and the full roster of eligible non‑Europeans in January is likely to test airport and carrier procedures during the switch. That is one reason airlines are being required to verify whether passengers hold a valid ETA or visa before allowing them to board flights to the UK.

The UK travel advisory stresses that those heading from countries now covered by the ETA must apply online before travel, and that airlines may deny boarding without it. This pre‑clearance is designed to catch inadmissibility issues earlier and reduce uncertainty on arrival, even as the Home Office reiterates that entry decisions remain with Border Force. For many visitors who previously arrived visa‑free and received a stamp at the desk, the ETA introduces a new digital checkpoint that will collect personal and travel data in advance and keep a record of entries and exits linked to the document’s two‑year validity window.

The implications stretch across family visits, tourism, and short business trips. For Salvadorans, Mexicans, South Africans, Costa Ricans and Dominicans planning trips in early 2025, the ETA will become a necessary pre‑flight step from 8 January 2025. Italians and other Europeans who have not previously needed any pre‑authorization for UK travel will join the system from 2 April 2025, marking a notable change in post‑Brexit border practices even for those used to quick entry lanes. The Home Office guidance is clear that the ETA is not permission to work and does not guarantee admission, a point officials underscored in repeating:

“The ETA simply gives visitors permission to travel to the UK, it does not guarantee entry.”

The detail of the government’s position reflects wider strategic goals. Ministers and senior officials involved in the border overhaul argue that the new ETA program and Visa National List updates create a more predictable, data‑driven front door, one the government describes as a “continued aim to both digitise and fortify the current UK immigration system.” In practical terms, that means more travelers will complete forms and submit details weeks before departure, airlines and carriers will refuse those without valid authorizations, and border agents will have more information to assess risk profiles on arrival.

The timing of the changes intersects with other border upgrades beyond the UK. On 12 October 2025, the European Union plans to launch its Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric border control regime that will take fingerprints and photographs of non‑EU travelers entering or leaving the Schengen area. For travelers heading on multi‑stop trips that include both the UK and EU, the new UK ETA and the EU’s EES could combine to lengthen journeys and introduce new steps at airports and land borders. Officials and airport operators have already warned that the introduction phase of the EES could increase wait times, particularly at the start of the rollout, and UK authorities have told passengers to prepare for additional documentation checks when transiting between the UK and EU.

Security assessments are also shaping the UK travel advisory language for certain destinations. El Salvador’s state of exception has prompted warnings from British and U.S. authorities about arbitrary detention and the expanded role of law enforcement. The FCDO’s current advisory for El Salvador references the risks posed by broad police powers under the decree and states that detention conditions can be dangerous. The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador maintains a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory, sharing concerns about arbitrary law enforcement actions under the state of exception. For travelers coming to the UK from countries under special advisories, British officials suggest careful planning, extra time for documentation, and close attention to carrier rules during the transition to the ETA system.

The government is also continuing to adjust which nationalities can rely on the ETA and which must obtain a full visitor visa. Jordan’s October 2024 move to the Visa National List and Botswana’s shift from 14 October 2025 are examples of how eligibility can change quickly. Unlike the ETA, a visitor visa requires more extensive paperwork and, in many cases, an appointment and biometrics at a visa application center. The contrast highlights the Home Office’s effort to push lower‑risk, short‑stay travelers into a streamlined, low‑cost authorization, while maintaining tighter control over routes deemed higher risk.

Travelers report that even with the ETA, scrutiny at the border can feel more rigid. Officers can still ask for evidence of return tickets, accommodation details, and proof of funds, and may refuse entry if they doubt someone’s intentions. The central message from the Home Office is that the ETA is a travel clearance only. As the department put it:

“The ETA simply gives visitors permission to travel to the UK, it does not guarantee entry.”
That repeated line is doing much of the heavy lifting in official communication to airlines, travel agents and passengers so that expectations are clear well before check‑in.

While many of the changes are technical, the human impact is immediate. Families booking reunions or weddings in the UK now face a new pre‑travel step, and those traveling on tight timelines will need to build in processing windows. The Home Office advises allowing up to three business days for an ETA decision, and some travelers are finding that additional security checks can push decisions closer to the travel date. Business travelers who once scheduled last‑minute flights are being told to apply as soon as they have firm itineraries to avoid being turned away at the gate if an authorization is still pending.

The interplay between UK rules and European border changes is likely to be a persistent theme through late 2025. The EU’s EES introduction on 12 October 2025 will require fingerprints and photos for most non‑EU arrivals and departures. Combined with the UK’s move to universal ETA coverage by Spring 2025, those connecting through London, Paris, Amsterdam or Madrid should expect added time at check‑in and arrival. Airlines are racing to update their systems to verify ETA statuses, and airports are adding signage to guide travelers through biometric enrollment and document verification.

For prospective visitors weighing summer and autumn travel, the core timeline is set. Applications for eligible non‑Europeans open on 27 November 2024 for trips from 8 January 2025. Europeans, including Italian passport holders who have previously entered the UK with only their passports, will see applications open on 5 March 2025 for travel from 2 April 2025. The cost remains £10, and the authorization is valid for two years, covering multiple short visits as long as each stay meets visitor rules. Those who fall outside ETA eligibility—whether due to nationality changes like Jordan’s shift in October 2024 or Botswana’s change on 14 October 2025, or because they plan to work or stay long‑term—will need to apply for the appropriate visa instead.

Officials say the combined effect of the ETA and related updates is a more coherent border system that starts checks before boarding, with better data on arrivals and departures and clearer rules for carriers. In the government’s words, the program is designed to “digitise and fortify the current UK immigration system by creating travel records of those who previously could have travelled to the UK without a visa.” For travelers, it means new planning steps, new timelines, and a closer reading of advisories before departure. For the UK, it marks the next phase in building a fully digital border where permissions are confirmed upfront and enforced consistently at the gate and at the desk.

The Home Office and FCDO are urging people to monitor official pages before booking or flying. Full guidance on eligibility, dates, fees and how to apply is set out on the UK government’s Electronic Travel Authorisation information page, which remains the definitive source for application rules and timelines. Applicants can find step‑by‑step instructions, eligibility criteria by nationality, and updates on rollout phases on the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) guidance – GOV.UK.