Kris explains! 10 – Be careful of website scams taking your money for ETA (UK) and ETIAS (EU).

Update: I previously did not call these visas. But they are in fact just that. They may be reworded, but more or less it is stepping away from visa-free entry and calling it advance information did fool me a bit as well. But ultimately it is checking who gets to be let in, and who not, in advance. That is a visa, even though it is an easier system than regular visa applications.

Official website links:
UK
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

EU
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

Note, that EES is currently set for October 2025 and ETIAS is set for 2026:
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/revised-timeline-ees-and-etias-2025-03-07_en

… for expats, by expats …