Latest news with #ETAs
ITV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
MPs raise concerns about Jersey's 'backdoor route into the UK'
MPs in the UK have raised concerns about Jersey 's French ID card scheme, saying it opens a "backdoor route into the UK" for potential illegal immigrants. The ID card scheme grants French visitors access to the island for the day without the need for a passport. It was introduced in both Bailiwicks in 2023, after it was found the number of day trippers had fallen post-Brexit - and last week, Jersey's government voted unanimously to extend the scheme on the basis of its success. However, UK MPs are now flagging it as a risk to their own border security. Chris Philp, the UK's Shadow Home Secretary and Conservative MP for Croydon South, says "our concern is that French ID cards are not particularly secure documents - it is possible to forge them relatively easily. "And because the Channel Islands are part of the Common Travel Area, the checks between the Channel Islands and the UK mainland are nothing like as strict as a regular passport control." Whilst no person has been identified to have exploited the scheme in this way in the past two years, Philp argues "concerns about border control are higher now than they ever have been." Citing rising number of immigrants who've made their way to the UK on small boats from Calais, he argues Jersey's scheme leaves a chink in the UK's armour that has the power to "snowball into something much larger" if left unaddressed. "When you have a vulnerability with your border security, what can start off as a very small problem can rapidly grow as illegal immigrants and others exploit vulnerabilities", he says. Philp hasn't raised concerns with members of Jersey's government directly. However, the island's Home Affairs Minister, Deputy Mary le Hegarat, admitted in the Assembly last week that "it is quite clear with correspondence from the Home Office that this is not a project they endorse." She added: "This heightens the risk for us in relation to the Common Travel Area and also potentially us being given a hard border." But Deputy Ian Gorst, Jersey's Minister for External Relations, says suitable checks and balances are in place to ensure the system isn't exploited as a pathway to the mainland. "These arrivals on their ID card have to have a return ticket for the ferry and there have been no incidences of onward travel to other places within the Common Travel Area. "So we can be confident that our border forces are protecting us and yet at the same time bringing this benefit to Jersey's economy." Guernsey is in the process of deciding whether to extend their version of the scheme for another year. A Guernsey Government spokesperson says: "It is the intention in Guernsey to extend the French Identity Card Scheme locally, on the condition it does not place our membership of the Common Travel Area at risk. "Guernsey Border Agency Officers have been in contact with the UK to discuss the matter from a Bailiwick of Guernsey perspective, and will continue to work with UK counterparts around the introduction of ETAs." Want the inside track on the issues that will shape Guernsey's Election this June? Listen to Guernsey Votes, an ITV Channel podcast packed with expert guests, local insight and analysis you can trust...
Sky News
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
British passports have just got more expensive - here's who can get an Irish one
Getting your hands on a British passport will cost you 7% more from today. The cost of the online application has jumped by £6 to £94.50. Here, we're going to look at how you can beat the hike... Why has the price gone up? Over the past two years the cost of a UK passport application has risen more than 25%. Where is all that money going? The Home Office insists it makes no profits, and is focused on keeping the waiting time for a British passport at around three weeks. "The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation," the government said when it announced the rise. Part of the cost goes towards funding passport control and border officers, while some of the money supports "consular support overseas, including lost or stolen passports", the government says. Could an Irish passport help you save money? The Irish passport was recently named the most powerful in the world for perks and entry. Because Ireland is in the EU, you skip long queues in EU countries. You also don't need to get yourself an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) every time you travel to the UK - the only country in the world that doesn't have to. Read more about ETAs here. Finally, they're more than £30 cheaper than the British ones at €75/£62. Who is eligible for an Irish passport other than Irish citizens? The Department of Foreign Affairs explains: "If you or your parent were born on the island of Ireland before 2005, you are an Irish citizen. You can apply for an Irish passport without making an application for citizenship." From 2005 onwards, it depends: If you were born in Ireland to British or Irish citizen parents, you are automatically an Irish citizen. If you were born in Northern Ireland in these circumstances, you can choose to be an Irish citizen. If you were born in Ireland in or after 2005 and your parents aren't British or Irish citizens, your right to an Irish passport depends on how long your parents lived in Ireland and their residency rights. If one of your grandparents was born on the island of Ireland, you may be eligible to claim "Irish citizenship by descent" If one of your parents was an Irish citizen when you were born, but you were born elsewhere, you may be able to claim citizenship under Foreign Birth Registration. You can check if you're eligible for an Irish passport here. How does the price compare? Before the rise, the UK passport was already among the most expensive in Europe, and it retains its spot with the increase. Italy (£97), Denmark (£100) and Switzerland (£123) cost more, while Norway (£55) and Lithuania (£43) are considerably cheaper.
Sky News
09-04-2025
- Business
- Sky News
British passports are about to get more expensive - here's who can get an Irish one
Getting your hands on a British passport will cost you 7% more from tomorrow. The cost of the online application will jump up by £6 to £94.50. Here, we're going to look at how you can beat the hike... Why is the price going up? Over the past two years the cost of a UK passport application has risen more than 25%. Where is all that money going? The Home Office insists it makes no profits, and is focused on keeping the waiting time for a British passport at around three weeks. "The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation," the government said when it announced the rise. Part of the cost goes towards funding passport control and border officers, while some of the money supports "consular support overseas, including lost or stolen passports", the government says. Can I beat the cost increase if I'm quick? If you put your application in to renew by 9 April (the end of today), you could save yourself six quid. An Irish passport? The Irish passport was recently named the most powerful in the world for perks and entry. Because Ireland is in the EU, you skip long queues in EU countries. You also don't need to get yourself an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) every time you travel to the UK - the only country in the world that doesn't have to. Read more about ETAs in the Money blog. Finally, they're more than £30 cheaper than the British ones at €75/£62. Who is eligible for an Irish passport other than Irish citizens? The Department of Foreign Affairs explains: "If you or your parent were born on the island of Ireland before 2005, you are an Irish citizen. You can apply for an Irish passport without making an application for citizenship." From 2005 onwards, it depends: If you were born in Ireland to British or Irish citizen parents, you are automatically an Irish citizen. If you were born in Northern Ireland in these circumstances, you can choose to be an Irish citizen. If you were born in Ireland in or after 2005 and your parents aren't British or Irish citizens, your right to an Irish passport depends on how long your parents lived in Ireland and their residency rights. If one of your grandparents was born on the island of Ireland, you may be eligible to claim "Irish citizenship by descent" If one of your parents was an Irish citizen when you were born, but you were born elsewhere, you may be able to claim citizenship under Foreign Birth Registration. You can check if you're eligible for an Irish passport here. How does the price compare? Before the rise, the UK passport was already among the most expensive in Europe, and it retains its spot with the increase. Italy (£97), Denmark (£100) and Switzerland (£123) cost more, while Norway (£55) and Lithuania (£43) are considerably cheaper.
Local Norway
24-03-2025
- Local Norway
Can I get my money back if I've paid for an ETA through an unofficial website?
The UK government in March launched a website and app for people applying for an ETA visa waiver, which will be required for all travellers entering the UK with an EU, Swiss and Norwegian passport from April 2nd. Unfortunately, the launch has been accompanied by a plague of unofficial but professional-looking sites offering to manage the process, which many applicants mistake for the official site. The fact they appear on Google searches above the official government website it's understandable many fall prey to these sites and end up paying 7 or 8 times the real cost. Some sites even copy the icon of a crown to imitate the government website and include the word "Official" in the title. One reader of The Local said: "We just filed for an ETA through UK ETA which cost 79 pounds. We were issued an ETA number. Have we been scammed? The logo is the crown but without the colours." An unofficial ETA site looking very official in a Google search. The big clue though is in the disclaimer at the bottom of the homepage. It reads: "Disclaimer: UK ETA Ltd and are visa services agency. Our service fees are higher than the government fee. Our fees are nonrefundable once the process starts. Service fees are additional and separate to any government fee." The UK Home Office, which manages the official site, told The Local that it was taking action to make sure its site appeared as high as possible in search results. "The official website is promoted and prioritised on search engines," it wrote. "Where is placed in the ordering of someone's search results depends on their search history and behaviour." It advised anyone applying for an ETA to use the official site. 'Applying for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is quick, simple and cheap, especially through the UK ETA app," it wrote. 'Anyone who wants information about applying for an ETA should visit the official website.' Advertisement READ ALSO: How to avoid being scammed when getting ETA visa waiver for the UK The UK government declined to comment on the unofficial sites, however, or say whether it had reported any of them or tried to have them taken down. Nor did it confirm whether the ETAs obtained via other sites are all genuine or whether travellers should apply again through the government site, as many have been asking. What can you do if you overpay at an unofficial site? The problem you have if you have already paid is that most, if not all, of the unofficial sites are not doing anything illegal, so long as they do, in fact, arrange an ETA for you. "Unfortunately, it is not illegal for companies to demand a higher payment for a service than other providers that are cheaper or even free," wrote Amelie Thelander, a legal advisor for Konsument Europa , the Swedish branch of the European Consumer Centres network. If the site is deliberately misleading and fails to inform customers that it is not an official site, if it does not provide clear information on how much consumers will be charged, or if it does not in fact deliver an ETA, this might be cause for complaint, however. "If the consumer considers that the price has not been clearly presented, they should take contact with the company directly to complain," she wrote. "We recommend that this is always done in writing." If that does not bring results, then you can ask your local European Consumer Centre organisation to mediate. You can find contact details here . Advertisement Can you get the site to refund you? Most of the unofficial sites have contact forms. One site named UKETA, which is run by Dubai-based Yoyo Travels, has an automated Whatsapp chatbot, and the which does not have any information on who is behind it, has a contact form and a complaints email . The problem is that the UK government only takes a matter of minutes to approve and issue ETAs, meaning the service is likely to have been delivered before you have a chance to ask for a refund. "If your ETA has already been processed and paid for, we do not grant or issue any refunds," a representative of the ETA-uk site told The Local, when it contacted the site asking about refund possibilities. Advertisement Can you get your bank or credit card company to block payment? If you have paid by credit card, you may be able to block the payment. Mia Bernadette, who lives in Luxembourg, realised almost immediately that she had made a mistake when buying an ETA for her Swedish fiancé. "I was thinking when I went to pay they didn't have the cost available - it didn't say, 'payment: 1,000 kronor'," she told The Local. "I thought it was strange that they weren't disclosing [the price] but thought it must be because it's a government site and they think people should know." There was no receipt when she paid either, but she got a notification from American Express telling her that 1,000 kronor (€91) had been taken from her credit card. "I called my credit card company who told me I had to wait for the transaction to go through and then I emailed them three times saying it was fraudulent and they weren't transparent on the cost and that their website name is confusing and that it's criminal to charge ten times the price, so they cancelled it." She said she felt lucky she'd been able to block the payment while it was still pending, and it's far from certain that all credit card companies would do the same. Share your own experiences of getting an ETA below. Were you able to get your money back after getting one through an unofficial site?
Local Italy
24-03-2025
- Local Italy
Can I get my money back if I've paid for an ETA through an unofficial website?
The UK government in March launched a website and app for people applying for an ETA visa waiver, which will be required for all travellers entering the UK with an EU, Swiss and Norwegian passport from April 2nd. Unfortunately, the launch has been accompanied by a plague of unofficial but professional-looking sites offering to manage the process, which many applicants mistake for the official site. The fact they appear on Google searches above the official government website it's understandable many fall prey to these sites and end up paying 7 or 8 times the real cost. Some sites even copy the icon of a crown to imitate the government website and include the word "Official" in the title. One reader of The Local said: "We just filed for an ETA through UK ETA which cost 79 pounds. We were issued an ETA number. Have we been scammed? The logo is the crown but without the colours." An unofficial ETA site looking very official in a Google search. The big clue though is in the disclaimer at the bottom of the homepage. It reads: "Disclaimer: UK ETA Ltd and are visa services agency. Our service fees are higher than the government fee. Our fees are nonrefundable once the process starts. Service fees are additional and separate to any government fee." The UK Home Office, which manages the official site, told The Local that it was taking action to make sure its site appeared as high as possible in search results. "The official website is promoted and prioritised on search engines," it wrote. "Where is placed in the ordering of someone's search results depends on their search history and behaviour." It advised anyone applying for an ETA to use the official site. 'Applying for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is quick, simple and cheap, especially through the UK ETA app," it wrote. 'Anyone who wants information about applying for an ETA should visit the official website.' The UK government declined to comment on the unofficial sites, however, or say whether it had reported any of them or tried to have them taken down. Nor did it confirm whether the ETAs obtained via other sites are all genuine or whether travellers should apply again through the government site, as many have been asking. What can you do if you overpay at an unofficial site? The problem you have if you have already paid is that most, if not all, of the unofficial sites are not doing anything illegal, so long as they do, in fact, arrange an ETA for you. "Unfortunately, it is not illegal for companies to demand a higher payment for a service than other providers that are cheaper or even free," wrote Amelie Thelander, a legal advisor for Konsument Europa, the Swedish branch of the European Consumer Centres network. If the site is deliberately misleading and fails to inform customers that it is not an official site, if it does not provide clear information on how much consumers will be charged, or if it does not in fact deliver an ETA, this might be cause for complaint, however. "If the consumer considers that the price has not been clearly presented, they should take contact with the company directly to complain," she wrote. "We recommend that this is always done in writing." If that does not bring results, then you can ask your local European Consumer Centre organisation to mediate. You can find contact details here. Can you get the site to refund you? Most of the unofficial sites have contact forms. One site named UKETA, which is run by Dubai-based Yoyo Travels, has an automated Whatsapp chatbot, and the which does not have any information on who is behind it, has a contact form and a complaints email. The problem is that the UK government only takes a matter of minutes to approve and issue ETAs, meaning the service is likely to have been delivered before you have a chance to ask for a refund. "If your ETA has already been processed and paid for, we do not grant or issue any refunds," a representative of the ETA-uk site told The Local, when it contacted the site asking about refund possibilities. Can you get your bank or credit card company to block payment? If you have paid by credit card, you may be able to block the payment. Mia Bernadette, who lives in Luxembourg, realised almost immediately that she had made a mistake when buying an ETA for her Swedish fiancé. "I was thinking when I went to pay they didn't have the cost available - it didn't say, 'payment: 1,000 kronor'," she told The Local. "I thought it was strange that they weren't disclosing [the price] but thought it must be because it's a government site and they think people should know." There was no receipt when she paid either, but she got a notification from American Express telling her that 1,000 kronor (€91) had been taken from her credit card. "I called my credit card company who told me I had to wait for the transaction to go through and then I emailed them three times saying it was fraudulent and they weren't transparent on the cost and that their website name is confusing and that it's criminal to charge ten times the price, so they cancelled it." She said she felt lucky she'd been able to block the payment while it was still pending, and it's far from certain that all credit card companies would do the same.
