Tory former minister Tim Loughton raised concerns about the potential ramifications of granting an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) exemption for tourists, arguing that it would undermine the “integrity of the whole” ETA scheme. Responding to Mr Loughton, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker made clear the Government does not intend to grant such an exemption and expressed his hope for developing a “consistent and coherent” communication strategy to ensure tourists know about their obligations. However, we have engaged closely with not only the tourism sector, but also our friends in the Irish Government on this issue. Irish citizens will not need an ETA to travel to Northern Ireland as they already have guaranteed free movement under the terms of the Common Travel Area. Earlier this year, the UK Government updated its plans and confirmed that non-Irish citizens living legally in the state will not need a waiver.

Source: The Herald June 21, 2023 14:02 UTC