Spaniards to face some tough questions when heading to the UK

Britain hits back at controversial EU visa scheme

New tough UK entry controls on the horizon. | Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter

Humphrey CarterPalma11/03/2023 09:59

Spaniards travelling to the UK will have to answer some tough security questions to enter the country as part of new border control.

The UK is to introduce an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visitors from certain countries in October.

The scheme will be extended worldwide next year and is very similar to a visa the EU intends to introduced which will complicate travelling for Britons heading into the European Union and to holidays destinations like Mallorca while making sure they don’t spend more than 90 days in the EU, unless they are resident of have forked out over half a million euros for a golden visa in the Balearics.

The Home Office has said that the scheme “will strengthen security at the border and improve travel for visitors to the UK”.

As part of the application process, people will need to provide biometric details and answer a set of “suitability questions”, reports The Mirror.
While the Home Office has not said what those questions are likely to be, they may be similar to the rigorous questionnaire which visitors to the US must answer.

It includes probing questions about whether “you suffer from a contagious or transmissible illness or psychiatric problems”, “if you use narcotics”, and “if you have been arrested or convicted and if so for what type of crime”.

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2 comments

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Ulla Jackson | over 2 years ago

"Improve travel to the UK" ?! I wonder how that will benefit the tourists.

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Morgan Williams | over 2 years ago

"Hitting back". Right, then. As if it's a competition (or war). Like everything else. For those who aren't aware, the ETIAS visa waiver system will be a far more efficient and effective border control system and should substantially reduce passport control waiting times (even for Brits), and as far as anyone can tell, it's only "controversial" to Brits, who seem to think it's all about them. Apparently, Brits are the only ones who seem to feel they must "hit back". For no apparent reason, actually. Maybe to reassure themselves it's all about them (?) Sorry, it isn't about you. It's actually modelled after the rather successful US visa waiver system "ESTA". And that wasn't about Brits either. Sorry. Keep trying.

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