The United Kingdom has enabled nationals in Bahrain and other countries in the Middle East to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) starting 1 February. The ETA is your permit to enter the United Kingdom multiple times over two years without the need to apply for a visa to visit the country.
Scroll to check out key information on applying for an ETA.
Who can apply for an ETA?
You need to be a national of Bahrain. Other countries included in this special provision are Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
What can you do with an ETA?
With the ETA, you can:
Visit the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, to be with family and friends, or on business or short-term study.
Visit the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession
Visit the UK for up to 1 month for a Permitted Paid Engagement
Transit through the UK – including if you’re not going through UK border control
Travel to the UK for another reason.
How much does an ETA cost?
It costs £10 (~ BHD 4.7) to apply for an ETA. Babies and children travelling to the UK will also need an ETA to enter the country.
How to apply?
The fastest way to apply for an ETA is through the UK ETA application.
You will need to upload photos of the passport and of the person applying for the ETA.
Keep your original passport, emails, and payment method (credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay) ready while applying for the ETA.
What happens after you’ve applied?
Once you’ve completed the application process, you will receive an email confirmation with your ETA. This will also be linked to the passport you applied with.
The ETA lasts for 2 years. You can travel to the UK multiple times over the two years or until your passport expires (whichever comes first). If you get a new passport during the two years, you will need to apply for a new ETA.