9th February 2026 | Nelli Shevchenko | Immigration, Business Travel, Global Mobility

From 25 February 2026, the UK will move to full enforcement of its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. This change affects visitors from 85 nationalities, including the United States, Canada and EU, who do not normally require a visa to visit the UK. From this date, these travellers will not be able to legally travel to the UK without a valid ETA, under a strict “no ETA, no boarding” regime.

Airlines and ferry operators will be required to check immigration permission (such as ETA or UK visa) status before departure, and travellers without a valid ETA will be denied boarding or refused entry at the UK border. The UK Home Office has confirmed that this marks the final stage of the ETA roll-out, following more than 13 million applications processed during the phased implementation.

  1. What is an ETA?

An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a digital permission to travel to the UK for short stays. It is not a visa, but a mandatory pre-travel authorisation linked electronically to a traveller’s passport.

An ETA:

  • Costs £16
  • Is valid for two years, or until the passport expires (whichever is sooner)
  • Allows multiple short visits to the UK within its validity period
  • Can only be linked to one passport
  1. Who needs an ETA?

An ETA is required for all non-visa national visitors, including citizens of:

  • The EU and EEA
  • The United States
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Japan, and other ETA-eligible countries

The requirement applies regardless of the purpose of travel, including business visits, tourism and short-term family visits.

Foreign nationals who already hold a UK visa do not need an ETA and they would hold a valid eVisa account or temporary vignette in their passport for travel.

Dual UK-Irish citizens are exempt, provided they travel using a British or Irish passport.

  1. How to apply for an ETA

ETAs can be applied for:

Most applications are approved within minutes, although travellers are strongly advised to apply at least 72 hours before departure to avoid disruption.

There is no formal right of appeal if an ETA is refused. When ETA is refused, the visitor would need to apply for a UK visitor visa in order to travel to the UK, which can take between 1-4 weeks to process.

This makes advance planning essential for both individual travellers and organisations managing international mobility.

  1. Important note for UK dual nationals

The UK government has confirmed that UK or Irish dual nationals must travel to the UK using a current UK or Irish passport, or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. Travelling on a non-UK/non-Irish passport may result in boarding being refused.

It is not possible to apply for an ETA using a second non-UK or non-Irish passport if the traveller is a British citizen. British dual nationals are ineligible for an ETA, eVisa or other immigration permission due to their British citizenship. This is a significant change for British nationals who have historically travelled to the UK using a foreign passport from a non-visa national country.

From 25 February 2026, dual UK/Irish citizens must be able to demonstrate their exempt status at the point of departure. Transport carriers are required to check each passenger’s permission to travel before boarding, and may deny boarding where satisfactory evidence is not provided, due to the risk of carrier penalties.

Travellers who do not hold a current British passport may instead apply for a certificate of entitlement, which confirms the right of abode in the UK. However, it is not possible to hold both a valid British passport and a certificate of entitlement at the same time. The cost of a certificate of entitlement (£589) is significantly higher than a British passport (£94.50 for adults or £61.50 for children when applying online).

British citizens who are overseas and urgently need to travel may, in limited circumstances, apply for an emergency travel document. The application costs £125, and it can take at least 2 weeks to process. This can be more difficult and lengthy where a British passport has not been held for many years.

Early planning is therefore essential for UK dual nationals to avoid disruption, delays or unexpected costs when travelling to the UK.

 

To find out more, contact Nelli Shevchenko, or the Immigration team at Sherrards. 

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