To date, travelers from privileged countries have enjoyed visa-free entry to the United Kingdom for short stays of up to six months. However, as of February 25, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system, introduced for citizens of 85 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, has been made mandatory as stated on the official site Gov.uk. This means that eligible travelers can no longer enter the UK without obtaining a valid ETA, even for their short stays.
The recent introduction of the ETA rule may seem like a routine administrative adjustment aimed at strengthening the UK’s border security in practice. However, in reality, it signals the inevitable truth that having a single passport no longer guarantees seamless access. With this regulation, many nationals are now realizing that strategic solutions are essential for maintaining flexibility and mobility. This highlights why second residency options through investment have become key Plan B assets across legal jurisdictions.
Digital Borders and the New Mobility Landscape: ETA Leading the Way
The new ETA requirement introduced for citizens of 85 countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia, is a mandatory digital permission that serves as pre-clearance for travel to the UK. It permits all applicants to travel to the UK for tourism, family visits, or business for up to 6 months at a cost of around £16 (approximately $21.57) per person.
The application must be made through ETA online or the UK ETA app by uploading the required documents and paying the fee. Once granted, it is linked to your passport and can last for 2 years with stays of up to 6 months. You must reapply for it if your passport expires or changes. If you try to enter the UK without it, you will be barred from entry.
However, citizens with dual UK citizenship do not need an ETA; they only need to show their British passport or the certificate of entitlement. Previously, they could enter with their valid non-British passports. However, if you, as a dual citizen, do not yet have a British passport or certificate of entitlement, you need to obtain an ETA to enter the UK or apply for one, which can take several months to complete, as it requires gathering documents and paying the necessary fees, such as:
- Passport Fee: £100
- The Certificate of Entitlement: £589
The situation underscores a broader reality we face in the 21st century: digital borders. Even if your passport is listed among the world’s most privileged, mobility is no longer automatic. On the contrary, it is more layered on, and broader mobility depends on planning a structured, reliable second residency option as a strategic asset.
Beyond the UK: The Rise of Digitalized, Pre-Cleared Borders
The UK’s ETA is only one example of a growing global trend. Similar systems are already in place or coming soon:
- EU ETIAS: A pre-travel authorization for visa-exempt nationals traveling to the Schengen Zone for citizens from 59+ visa-exempt countries (including the US, Canada, UK, Australia), costing around €20. It is announced to start in the last quarter of 2026.
- US ESTA: A digital pre-clearance for travelers entering the United States, costing $40.27 USD (for Citizens of the Visa Waiver Program).
- Canada eTA: Mandatory electronic authorization for Visa-exempt foreign nationals to Canada, costing CAN$7.
These programs reflect a broader shift toward digitalized, biometric, and pre-screened border systems, where access is increasingly evaluated before a traveler even reaches the airport.
What does this mean for the future of global mobility? For sure, it will become more structured rather than direct and seamless access. In this respect, the strategic second residency options will be more significant than ever for flexibility.
Building a Plan B: Why Second Residency Matters in the Age of Digital Borders
The rise of digitalized and pre-cleared border systems has fundamentally changed the rules of global mobility. You are no longer evaluated solely at the physical border, but also at the digital border. Entry permissions are now stricter with regulations increasingly enforcing pre-departure screening, biometric verification, and automated risk assessments.
In this landscape, relying on a single passport can limit your flexibility and often create hidden travel barriers.
At the edge of this shift, for many nationals, second residency options offer a structural and reliable solution, such as investment-based European Golden Visa programs, with capital preservation and potential appreciation benefits. These programs offer:
- The ability to live, study, work, or create a business in the host country
- Visa-free travel across regions without relying solely on one passport
- The change to benefit from no or, in some cases, minimum residency requirements
- A strategic plan B in case of political uncertainty
- Family inclusion, such as spouse, same-sex partners, minor and dependent children, and, in some cases, parents.
- A potential path for permanent residency or even citizenship
In terms of these benefits, second residency programs do more than just provide legal residency status. They also create global mobility, strategic flexibility, and a protective measure against the increasing restrictions of digitalized borders.
Spotlight on European Golden Visa Programs: Italy, Greece, and Portugal
With digital borders increasingly shaping global mobility, European residency-by-investment programs are now in the spotlight for many nationals as offering a practical Plan B to preserve flexibility, access, and legal certainty.
Some of the top European Golden Visa options include:
- Portugal: Through a fund investment of €250,000, the Portugal Golden Visa grants investors 5 years of residency, renewable as long as the investment is maintained and they keep the minimum 7 days per year residency requirement. What makes this program unique and valuable for most investors is that it is the only European Golden Visa program that allows you to apply for permanent residency after 5 years without holding your initial investment. Additionally, it offers an eventual path to citizenship, subject to the legal requirements in effect at the time.
- Greece: It is one of the few remaining residency options in Europe that still allows residency through property purchase, starting from €250,000. Through the Greek Golden Visa, you can be granted 5 years of residency, renewable as long as you keep the property with no physical presence requirement, and include family members under the program.
- Italy: Applicants can obtain an Italian Golden Visa for an initial term of up to 2 years, renewable 3 times. Mostly preferred for lifestyle purposes, it requires investing in government bonds, startups, or other qualifying assets, with no minimum residency requirement and family inclusion benefits. The minimum investment starts from €250,000.
The framework of these programs acts as a structured Plan B in a world where digitalized borders increasingly determine who can travel and under what conditions.
Get Golden Visa: Preparing for the Future of Global Mobility
The landscape of global mobility is evolving rapidly. Shifts in travel regulations, the rise of digital pre-clearance systems, and growing geopolitical uncertainty are redefining how and where investors can move. In this environment, second residency is no longer just a convenience; it has become a strategic asset.
Since 2014, Get Golden Visa has guided thousands of investors from 47 nationalities through carefully structured investment programs. This expertise has helped us to catch and reveal key trends that will shape the next decade of mobility:
- Increasing reliance on digital border controls,
- Heightened pre-travel verification,
- Growing value of multiple residency options for both personal and professional flexibility.
These insights emphasize that investors must plan beyond a single passport now. As an alternative, they must consider diversified residency strategies as a key to global mobility and long-term resilience.
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