United Kingdom Expands Registered Traveler Service

On October 4, 2015, the UK Home Office invited certain frequent travelers to the UK to apply for the Registered Traveler service. This program offers member travelers faster entry at UK passport control. The program is open to citizens of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, and must hold a valid UK visa or must have visited the UK four times in the preceding 52 weeks.

One can apply for the Registered Traveler service online at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/registered-traveller. The application takes a few minutes to complete and the associated required background check takes five to ten working days to process. The fee is £70 for a one year membership. The Registered Traveler service is available at Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London City, Luton, and Stansted airports, and the Rail Terminals in Paris, Brussels and Lille.

The implementation of the Registered Traveler service has greatly facilitated entry into the UK for member travelers, while still meeting strict security requirements. Gibney will continue to monitor this program and provide updates as they become available. If you have any questions regarding this alert, please contact your designated Gibney representative, or email info@gibney.com.

This article is provided as general information for clients and friends of Gibney, Anthony & Flaherty, LLP. It does not constitute, and should not be construed as, legal advice. The contents of this article may be considered attorney advertising in some states.