Drivers have been warned of major travel changes set to come into effect impacting how millions of drivers travel in and out of the UK.
From today, non-European visitors to the UK will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the country, according to the Home Office.
The changes will impact all tourists, business travellers, and crucially, lorry drivers although British and Irish citizens are exempt from the ETA requirement.
The changes come as the UK Government looks to enhance its border security at crucial points including the Port of Dover which sees millions of vehicles use each year.
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Northern Ireland Economy Minister warned the new visas will have an impact on tourism for the country
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The ETA is a digital pre-travel authorisation linked to an applicant’s passport which allows drivers to visits the UK without needing a visa.
It is valid for two years and allows users to enter the UK through multiple journeys during its validity.
The licence costs £10 and permits stays of up to six months at a time, it will primarily affect lorry drivers who regularly travel across the border.
Under the rules eligible European nationals will also be required to apply for an ETA starting from March 5 with enforcement beginning April 2.
While the move hopes to improve border safety for Britons, Economy Minister Conor Murphy for Northern Ireland warned the requirements will have a “devastating impact” on tourism.
He said: “I have made it clear to Minister Malhotra that solutions to the ETA Scheme are needed to protect the north’s tourism sector. Ideally a complete exemption should be introduced for those crossing into the north but not travelling on to Britain.
“At the very least a time-limited exemption for people visiting up to seven days would cover most of our international visitors.
“The existing exemption for French school groups shows that a solution is perfectly possible. A similar, pragmatic, and flexible approach could be taken by the Home Office to avoid damaging tourism growth in the north.”
Under the rules EU lorry drivers will need to make sure they obtain an ETA before travelling while UK lorry drivers will need to apply for an ETIAS(European Travel Information and Authorisation System), the European equivalent, before entering the EU.
The European visa will cost €7 (£5.84) and will be linked to the traveller’s passport and remain valid for three years or until the passport expires.
Motorists have been warned they must carry certain documents with them if they drive or travel as a passenger in a commercial vehicle carrying goods between countries.
These include a valid UK driving licence, an international driving permit (IDP) if necessary for the designated country, a valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence card, a valid passport and healthcare documents.
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The changes will have a huge impact on how lorries enter the UK
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For HGV drivers, the rules are slightly different. The driver must ensure the vehicle is correctly taxed as well as have certain documents about the HGV and trailer on them while travelling.
These include:
the vehicle and trailer registration documents
certificates for any specialist approvals the vehicle has
a goods vehicle operator licence disc
licences or permits needed for the journey
vehicle and trailer insurance documents
a UK sticker (previously a GB sticker)
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