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The world of travel is preparing itself for a digital overhaul in 2025 and beyond. This year marks a pivotal uplift in digital border control, from the UK’s imminent ETA expansions to the long-anticipated European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). Electronic Travel Authorizations (ETAs) are becoming an essential part of the global mobility landscape, reshaping how travelers navigate borders. These digital pre-approvals for visa-free travelers offer convenience and enhanced security, while allowing authorities to gain access to data-driven insights and generate substantial revenue streams.
Pioneered by countries such as the USA with its Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in 2008 and Australia in 2013, ETAs have since gained traction across the globe. Canada followed suit in 2016 with the eTA, New Zealand (NZeTA) in 2019, and South Korea (K-ETA) in 2021. Instead of implementing its eTA for its existing visa-free list, Kenya enabled it for all countries in 2024 but has recently announced plans to review its system.
The UK has been rolling out its ETA system in phases. Initially open to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals in February 2024, the scheme will extend to eligible non-European travelers from this month (January 2025). This includes six million citizens from the US, Canada, and Australia. Eligible Europeans can apply from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel from 2 April 2025. Under the ETA system, visitors will be allowed to stay in the UK for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or study, or three months under the creative worker visa concession.
The UK’s Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, said: “Digitisation enables a smooth experience for the millions of people who pass through the border every year, including the visitors we warmly welcome to the UK who are predicted to contribute over £32 billion to our tourism economy this year.”
Similarly, Europe’s ETIAS, which has been delayed multiple times, is now expected to commence in May 2025. Those with a valid ETIAS authorization can enter the 29 Schengen Area countries and Cyprus as often as they want for short-term stays, normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Schengen Area countries include popular tourist destinations such as France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
Ahead of the ETIAS launch, all participating countries will be implementing the digital Entry/Exit System (EES), which will automate all identity, travel document data, and biometric checks at the borders. The EU Commission has further proposed an EU Digital Travel application, expected to come into effect in 2030. This framework would digitize passports and identity cards for individuals traveling to and from the Schengen area and would create digital travel credentials for both EU citizens and non-EU citizens when completing systematic checks at EU external borders.
Other countries, including Israel and Thailand are also set to roll out their own ETA frameworks this year (2025). Meanwhile, South Africa is actively preparing to implement its system by 2029 whilst Japan is aiming for 2030, underscoring a global shift toward digital borders.
As governments modernize infrastructure, ETAs represent a natural evolution in the digitization of services. More streamlined tech is resulting in greater border control and security. ETAs give governments a clear picture of who is entering their borders. This facilitates better monitoring of overstays and ensures greater compliance with entry rules.
ETAs should work in favor of travelers too. When well-executed, they benefit from a swift, paperless process. Visitors enjoy smoother arrivals, shorter queues, and greater clarity about entry requirements while authorities gain access to data-driven insights.
According to the EU's travel information website, the goal of the EES is to speed up long immigration lines that have surged with the post-pandemic travel demand. The new system is also aimed at combatting identity fraud by collecting biometric data.
As more countries introduce sophisticated ETA systems, there is the potential for data sharing, with a view to strengthening international border security. In 2024, the Canadian government and the EU announced the signing of the Agreement on the Transfer and Processing of Passenger Name Record (PNR) Data. This agreement forms a legal basis for the transfer and use of PNR data from flights departing from the EU, and strengthens law enforcement cooperation between Canada and EU partners. “This advances our efforts in preventing transnational crime and combatting terrorism while respecting the privacy and the rights and freedoms of travellers,” says Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety.
Likewise, under its ESTA scheme, the US shares information with countries in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to enhance security and ensure compliance with VWP standards. Countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and South Korea have agreements with mutual global authorities. The introduction of the ETIAS will also leverage data-sharing agreements between the Schengen Area countries and other EU members.
ETAs are also a major revenue generator. They often come with a fee, turning visa-free travel into a monetizable service.
According to the Federal Register, the number of approved ESTA applications for fiscal year 2024 was forecast at 15,836,499 and is set to increase to 16,033,661 in 2025. The fee per application is USD 21. The revenue for 2025 is forecast to be around USD 336.7 million.
The EU's projected revenue from ETIAS when implemented later this year is expected to be around EUR 200 million. This is based on the minimum government fee of EUR 7 that each ETIAS applicant will be required to pay.
Since October 2023, certain nationalities have had to acquire an ETA to visit the UK for short periods — there were 601,858 ETAs granted in the year ending September 2024. This year, with the UK implementing the global rollout of its ETA system, the number of applicants will increase dramatically. Given that the UK received approximately 6 million visitors from visa-exempt countries such as the US, Canada, and Australia in 2024, the anticipated revenue from ETAs could be around GBP 60 million annually with a fee of GBP 10 per application.
However, the introduction of ETAs for Europeans entering the UK will generate the most significant revenue spike. The 2024 European inbound tourism forecast for the UK was 25.1 million visits. Should those numbers remain similar for 2025/2026, the revenue generated for ETAs from European visitors alone could be around GBP 251 million within a year.
The global adoption of ETAs is revolutionizing the way countries manage border control and travel logistics. These systems are reshaping mobility by balancing security enhancements with traveler convenience, whilst boosting the economy at the same time.
As countries such as the UK and the EU member states expand their ETA frameworks this year, the digital travel world is poised for transformation, and it’s a trend that is likely to continue as digital innovation evolves.
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