Key points
- More than 17 countries have adopted ETAs in the past 15 years, and over 36 destinations are projected to require them by 2026.
- 2025 data shows 26.8 percent of ETA applications are filed less than 48 hours before departure.
- Early adopters like Australia, the US, Canada, and New Zealand now sit alongside newer systems in the UK, Korea, and soon the EU.
- Major rollouts keep slipping, including the EU's ETIAS to 2026 and Korea's full expansion into late 2025.
- As ETAs replace visa-free entry, more travelers must secure pre-authorization, adding cost, friction, and last-minute risk.
Over the past 15 years, more than 17 countries have adopted electronic travel authorizations, changing how international border crossings work. Once used mainly by countries like Australia and the United States, these systems are now spreading. The United Kingdom began its rollout in 2023, the European Union plans to require ETIAS from 2026, and Thailand has announced plans of its own.
According to current processing data, 26.8% of ETA applications are submitted less than 48 hours before a flight, which suggests many travelers only discover the requirement at airport check-in or during pre-boarding.
ETAs are becoming a standard part of international travel, yet how they work and what they mean for passengers is still widely misunderstood.
What is an ETA? What is the difference between an ETA and a visa?
An electronic travel authorization is a digital permit for travelers from visa-exempt countries, obtained before boarding a flight. Unlike a traditional visa, which can take weeks and involve supporting documents, interviews, and embassy visits, an ETA is built for speed, lower cost, and a fully online application.
ETAs usually cover short-term stays for tourism, transit, or business. Once approved, they are linked electronically to a traveler’s passport so immigration can verify them automatically.
Key distinctions
- Visa: A full application process involving paperwork, biometric collection, embassy visits, and longer waiting periods.
- eVisa: A digital visa that generally requires more documentation than an ETA and usually costs more.
- ETA: A streamlined pre-screening step, more involved than visa-free travel but far lighter than a traditional visa.
This is a meaningful shift. Travelers who used to enter countries like Canada or the UK with no paperwork now have to apply, pay a fee, and get pre-approval before they leave home.
Long-established ETA systems
- Australia (ETA since 1996)
- United States (ESTA launched in 2009)
- Canada (ETA since 2016)
- New Zealand (NZeTA since 2019)
Recent implementations
- United Kingdom: Phased introduction from 2023; mandatory for all visa-exempt travelers by 2024.
- Korea: K-ETA launched in 2021, with expansion to all visa-waiver countries planned for 2026.
New ETA systems often run into implementation delays. South Korea’s K-ETA, originally set to cover all visa-waiver countries in 2024, has been pushed to at least late 2025. The EU’s ETIAS has faced repeated delays and now targets a 2026 launch.
Upcoming travel authorizations
- Sri Lanka ETA: Required from October 2025.
- ETIAS (European Union): Planned rollout in 2026.
Countries developing or planning ETAs
- Thailand: Timeline unconfirmed, potentially as early as late 2025.
- South Africa: A three-stage release, with initial pilot testing possibly in October 2025.
- Japan: An ETA has been announced officially; launch details are still pending.
- South Korea K-ETA: Expansion to all visa-waiver countries expected in 2026.
By 2026, more than 36 destinations are projected to require ETAs. For millions of travelers, “visa-free” will no longer mean “paperwork-free.”
Why are governments introducing ETAs?
Governments frame ETAs as a modernization step, and point to a few main reasons:
- Security: ETAs allow pre-screening for criminal records, health concerns, and security risks.
- Efficiency: Processing travelers digitally before arrival is meant to cut airport wait times.
- Revenue: Application fees generate income. The UK charges a £16 government fee, Canada charges a CAD $7 government fee, and the US ESTA government fee rose from $21 to $40.27.
Some governments bundle ETAs with tourism levies. New Zealand’s International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is one example.
These amounts are the government fees set by each authority. If you apply through a service like iVisa rather than directly on the official portal, iVisa charges a separate service fee on top of the government fee for handling and reviewing the application.
The traveler’s frustration: backlash and resistance
Despite the efficiency and security arguments, many travelers see ETAs as an extra hurdle, especially for destinations that used to be visa-free.
Social media reflects the growing dissatisfaction. During the UK’s 2023 ETA rollout, some travelers said they would “skip the UK” rather than pay a fee or work through an application portal. Similar concerns have come up around the EU’s forthcoming ETIAS.
Common traveler complaints
- Extra cost: Small fees add up for families and frequent travelers.
- Clunky portals: Application sites are often hard to use, hit technical issues, and lack multilingual support.
- Payment barriers: Not every system accepts global payment methods, which shuts out travelers without a credit card.
- Last-minute surprises: Many people only learn about the requirement at the airport, which can mean missed flights and added stress.
As iVisa co-founder David Perez puts it: “ETAs were designed to make border entry faster, but if they’re implemented poorly, they risk being seen as barriers.”
Future of traditional visas
Traditional visas are not going away, but they are changing. ETAs will likely dominate short-term travel for tourism, business, and transit, while conventional visas stay essential for passport holders from higher-overstay-risk countries, as well as for work, study, migration, and higher-security categories.
David Perez predicts that by 2030, “visa-free travel” will look quite different. Most countries are expected to require some form of pre-authorization, which could mean genuine visa-free entry no longer exists for most travelers.
ETAs are here to stay, and adoption is accelerating. Whether they end up seen as smart, efficient systems or as digital barriers to mobility will come down to how well they are implemented. As David concludes: “The future of travel isn’t about stamping passports. It’s about digital systems, and whether they empower or restrict global mobility will define the next era of border control.”
The details above are meant as general guidance, not legal advice. Entry rules change often, so check the official government source for your destination before you travel.
