The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme began a phased introduction in October 2023. Since then, it has not been strictly enforced. This will change from 25 February 2026, when visitors will no longer be able to travel legally to the UK without complying with the ETA Scheme.
This article outlines the UK’s ETA Scheme, who it applies to, and how the application process works. It also highlights the upcoming enforcement and what this means for travellers, dual nationals, and businesses.
The ETA Scheme requires people who may not need a visa to visit the UK to apply for digital permission to travel, in other words, an ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation’. It's a straightforward application made before travelling. The scheme enables the UK government to screen visitors “for suitability and criminality before they arrive”.
The scheme currently applies to more than 80 nationalities, including the United States, Canada and most countries in the EU. A full list of applicable nationalities can be found in Appendix ETA National List to the Immigration Rules.
Anyone from an applicable nationality travelling to the UK for visit purposes, including as a business visitor or to undertake a permitted paid engagement, must apply for an ETA. You may need an ETA if you are entering the UK for up to three months on the Creative Worker visa concession or if you're transiting through the UK and passing border control.
You do not need an ETA if you already hold a valid UK visa.
ETA applications were opened to different cohorts of nationalities between the end of 2023 and beginning of 2025. The scheme was fully operational by April 2025, and as of November last year more than 13.3 million visitors successfully applied. The ETA scheme has not been strictly enforced during the rollout period to give visitors flexibility to adjust to this new requirement.
However, this will change from 25 February 2026. From this date, visitors who should be subject to the scheme but do not apply for an ETA will not be able to legally travel to the UK and will be prevented from boarding their transport. This is crucially important for those who travel frequently to the UK for business or other purposes who may not have previously been aware of this requirement. Visitors may have been able to enter the UK recently without an ETA due to the scheme’s flexibility in implementation, and could remain unaware of the upcoming changes.
The application fee for an ETA is currently £16. The process is straightforward and includes verifying the applicant’s identity using a valid passport and answering some suitability and criminality questions. Applicants can apply directly from the gov.uk website.
The Home Office states that most applicants will get a decision within a day of applying and, if not, within three working days.
The ETA will be valid for two years or until the expiry date of your passport – whichever is sooner. It can therefore be used repeatedly for as long as both the passport and ETA remain valid. As the status is linked to your passport you applied with, you will need to apply for a new ETA whenever you renew your passport.
It is important to understand that the ETA is not a visa. If an ETA is granted, this is not permission to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months at a time. It is purely permission to travel to the UK. It also does not guarantee entry.
An ETA application may be refused where the applicant does not meet the suitability criteria, for example they have previously been refused a Visit visa or breached immigration law in the UK. There is no right of appeal. If an ETA is refused, an applicant will either need to apply again, or apply for a visa to come to the UK.
You cannot get an ETA if you hold either British or Irish citizenship. Dual citizens may have previously been able to enter the UK using an ETA passport. However, from 25 February 2026 dual citizens may be denied boarding if they cannot provide a valid passport or a Certificate of Entitlement. The Home Office has stated that without valid documents, additional checks to verify British nationality may be required before someone can go through UK passport control
Anyone travelling to the UK for business purposes should familiarise themselves both with the permitted business activities that a visitor can legally conduct in the UK, and with the requirements of the ETA. Where they have not already done so, an ETA should be applied for in advance of their next scheduled trip to the UK.
UK employers receiving international colleagues as business visitors should consider reviewing and updating any internal policies on business visits to the UK in line with UK immigration law. This may be even more pertinent if you are a UK employer who holds a sponsor licence.
Please note that this article is not intended to be used as legal advice. For support with the ETA scheme or other eligibility to travel to the UK, please contact our immigration team.
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