The Registered Traveller Scheme is designed to make it easier for regular travellers from United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan who to transit through immigration controls at major UK ports of entry such as Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.
Initially the scheme will only be open to 5,000 high-profile travellers who must have visited the UK at least four times within the past year.
Who is eligible to apply?
To apply to become a Registered Traveller you will need to be a national of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the USA. In addition you will also need to:
- Be 18 years of age or over
- Have visited the UK four times or more in the previous 52 weeks
- Be either a ‘visitor’ (business visitor, tourist, sports visitor, entertainer visitor, person seeking leave to enter as the parent of a child at school in the UK); or have the following leave:
- Tier 1 (Investor)
- Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)
- Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent/ Promise)
- Tier 2 (General)
- Tier 2 (Ministers of Religion)
- Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
- Tier 2 (Intra Company Transfer)
- Indefinite leave to remain (ILR)
How to apply
To submit an application go to www.gov.uk/registered-traveller and complete the online application form. The application costs £50 (non-refundable).
Applications take up to 10 days to process and if your application is successful you will be granted Registered Traveller status for a period of 12 months, after which you will need to apply once again.