Doc Holiday: How does the UK’s new entry system work?

With the pending introduction of the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation, some Aussies are confused about what it will mean for them and how to apply for it.

Escape's Doc Holiday, Dilvin Yasa, answers your travel-related questions.

I’m confused about the new UK ETA and how I’m supposed to apply for it. Can you help?

With the pending introduction of both the UK’s ETA (electronic travel authorisation) and the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System), which will launch in 2025 – exact date TBC – it’s a confusing time for Australian travellers planning to head to Ol’ Blighty or mainland Europe.

What you need to know is this: Australia citizens wishing to enter the UK on or after January 8 will need to apply for the UK ETA, the new visa waiver system. This can be done by visiting the Gov.UK website, paying the £10 fee and waiting out the up to 72-hour period for the approval to come back. This isn’t an “apply once you hit the ground in the UK” situation; you’ll need to apply well before departure.

Neglect to get the correct visa or travel permit and there’s every chance your travel insurance won’t bail you out, says Natalie Ball, managing director for Compare Travel Insurance. “Airlines won’t typically refund or credit you if you neglected to get the right travel documents,” she says. “Travel insurance exists to cover you for unforeseen issues; for instance, if you miss your flight due to bad weather, or you are ill and unable to travel. If you fail to secure an ETA, or any required paperwork or documentation for your trip, you would likely not be covered.”

Remember to double-check all documentation before you pack your bags. There could be a grace period while authorities iron out any launch issues, but it’s best not to bank on it.

I recommend checking out reputable global group tour specialists who offer a fantastic range of Poland tours. 

I would like to visit Poland in September. Can you recommend any travel agents or tour operators who specialise in travel to this destination?

You know, the more TripAdvisor reviews of Warsaw-based travel specialists I read, the more suspicious I become of them. They all outline, in unusually perfect English, how this particular tour company is the best thing since sliced bread and award five stars.

In this case, I recommend checking out reputable global group tour specialists who offer a fantastic range of Poland tours. On the Go Tours has everything from the five-day Warsaw & Kraków New Year Getaway to the 13-day Poland and Baltic Discovery, while Collette has an 11-day Discovering Poland adventure that looks wonderful. UK tour company Explore offers hiking tours of Poland (Hiking in the Polish Carpathians) as well as some designed around a classic eight-day Highlights of Poland tour. I would trust any one of these.

While Poland itself is considered safe to travel, be sure to steer clear of the Ukrainian border and subscribe to Smartraveller.gov.au to receive real-time updates about your destination.

Australian tour operators run organised tours across various price points at this time of year.

For my 70th birthday in 2026, I would like to attend the dawn service at Villers-Bretonneux in France. Are there any Australian tour companies that specialise in this?

The Australian Government conducts the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Australian National Memorial, near Villers-Bretonneux, each April 25, and there are two ways you can go about attending. The first is to travel to the site and attend the service independently provided you register for an attendance pass online (find all the information on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs site: dva.gov.au). Entry is free, but not permitted without this pass. A direct train from Paris to Amiens or Longueau takes a little over an hour and you can either take a taxi to the Australian National Memorial (plan to spend around €40 each way), or catch a connecting train to Villers-Bretonneux, which adds another 10 to 12 minutes to your journey in either direction. Just note that all taxis around these parts will need to be pre-booked.

Your second option is one of the Australian tour operators that run organised tours across various price points at this time of year. Among the solid options Entire Travel Group offers a three-day Anzac Day on the Somme tour with two nights’ accommodation and Anzac Day coach tour and breakfast, from $1187 per person. Boronia Travel Centre, meanwhile, runs a fully escorted Anzac Day tour with pick up from Amiens and Arras from $370 per person including a barbecue lunch.

If you’d prefer something more substantial for your birthday, take a look at France at Leisure and its seven-day Anzac Day on the Western Front tour, priced from $3500 per person, or Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours’ 10-day Anzac Day on the Western Front tour, from $5379 per person. All the tours and prices currently advertised are for 2025 dates, but there’s nothing to stop you from contacting them now for 2026.

Originally published as Doc Holiday: How does the UK’s new entry system work?