The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme enters its final phase next month. From 25 February 2026, visa-exempt nationals from 85 countries—including France, Canada and the United States—must hold an approved ETA, priced at £16, before boarding transport to the UK.
The Home Office says most approvals are issued within minutes via a mobile app, but carriers will face fines if passengers turn up without digital clearance. Airlines are therefore updating DCS (Departure Control Systems) and crew briefings to add real-time ETA validation.
![UK sets 25 February deadline for mandatory £16 ETA as rollout reaches 85 nationalities]()
For organisations that prefer to outsource the heavy lifting, VisaHQ can handle individual or bulk ETA filings, provide status dashboards and send automated expiry reminders; more details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/. The platform plugs straight into corporate travel policies, letting mobility managers keep compliance tight without adding internal admin.
For businesses, the change alters risk calculations for short-term assignees and visiting clients. While an ETA is not a work visa, conference speakers, board directors and auditors on stays under six months will all need the authorisation. Failure to obtain it could invalidate business-travel insurance or delay project kick-offs.
Travel management companies recommend adding an automatic ETA prompt into online booking tools and advising frequent travellers to apply early to avoid surge-period backlogs. The fee itself is modest, but last-minute refusals could lead to costly re-routing or cancelled meetings.
The Home Office says most approvals are issued within minutes via a mobile app, but carriers will face fines if passengers turn up without digital clearance. Airlines are therefore updating DCS (Departure Control Systems) and crew briefings to add real-time ETA validation.
For organisations that prefer to outsource the heavy lifting, VisaHQ can handle individual or bulk ETA filings, provide status dashboards and send automated expiry reminders; more details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/. The platform plugs straight into corporate travel policies, letting mobility managers keep compliance tight without adding internal admin.
For businesses, the change alters risk calculations for short-term assignees and visiting clients. While an ETA is not a work visa, conference speakers, board directors and auditors on stays under six months will all need the authorisation. Failure to obtain it could invalidate business-travel insurance or delay project kick-offs.
Travel management companies recommend adding an automatic ETA prompt into online booking tools and advising frequent travellers to apply early to avoid surge-period backlogs. The fee itself is modest, but last-minute refusals could lead to costly re-routing or cancelled meetings.
