Austrian Airlines updated its travel-advice page on 11 November to remind passengers that from 2 April 2025 all visa-exempt European nationals—including Austrians—must hold a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before boarding flights to the United Kingdom. Non-European visa-exempt nationals fall under the scheme from 8 January 2025.
The ETA is a fully digital permit linked to the traveller’s passport and valid for two years or until the document expires. Applications cost £10 and should be filed at least 72 hours prior to departure via the UK Home Office app or website. Children and infants need their own approval, and carriers are liable for fines if they transport passengers without valid authorisation.
![UK Electronic Travel Authorisation: Austrian Airlines issues last-minute reminder ahead of April 2025 deadline]()
For Austrian corporates with frequent London commuters, the message is clear: incorporate ETA checks into trip-approval workflows now. Travel management companies should bulk-educate employees and capture the ETA expiry date in their profiles to avoid last-minute scrambles. The UK is also phasing in an e-Visa system that will eventually replace physical biometric residence permits; assignees should create a UKVI account and link their passport to generate share codes.
The new requirement comes as the UK tightens border security post-Brexit while promising faster e-gates for trusted travellers. Austrian passport holders currently enjoy average queue times of under 15 minutes at Heathrow, and officials say the ETA will enable more pre-arrival risk screening without lengthening arrivals processing.
Failure to obtain an ETA will result in boarding denial. Mobility teams should therefore update employee handbooks, and recruiters bringing candidates to the UK for interviews after April must factor in the three-day lead time.
The ETA is a fully digital permit linked to the traveller’s passport and valid for two years or until the document expires. Applications cost £10 and should be filed at least 72 hours prior to departure via the UK Home Office app or website. Children and infants need their own approval, and carriers are liable for fines if they transport passengers without valid authorisation.
For Austrian corporates with frequent London commuters, the message is clear: incorporate ETA checks into trip-approval workflows now. Travel management companies should bulk-educate employees and capture the ETA expiry date in their profiles to avoid last-minute scrambles. The UK is also phasing in an e-Visa system that will eventually replace physical biometric residence permits; assignees should create a UKVI account and link their passport to generate share codes.
The new requirement comes as the UK tightens border security post-Brexit while promising faster e-gates for trusted travellers. Austrian passport holders currently enjoy average queue times of under 15 minutes at Heathrow, and officials say the ETA will enable more pre-arrival risk screening without lengthening arrivals processing.
Failure to obtain an ETA will result in boarding denial. Mobility teams should therefore update employee handbooks, and recruiters bringing candidates to the UK for interviews after April must factor in the three-day lead time.
