Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received concerning the proposed ETA system for local journeys to Northern Ireland across the land border on the island of Ireland.

The Common Travel Area (CTA) supports the long-standing principle of movement for British and Irish citizens between the UK, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Ireland.

As now, the UK will not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA, with no immigration controls whatsoever on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border.

Individuals (except British and Irish citizens) arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, have always been required to meet the requirements of the UK’s immigration framework. This framework will change with the introduction of ETAs, and, as visa nationals have always needed a visa for the UK, broadly non-visa national visitors will, in future, require an ETA to travel into the UK across the land border, just as they will when entering the UK from anywhere else.

Once granted, an ETA will be valid for multiple journeys over an extended period, minimising the burden on those making frequent trips, including those across the Ireland-Northern Ireland border.

We continue to work with stakeholders as we develop plans to operationalise the ETA scheme, including stakeholders in Northern Ireland and Ireland.