Emirates Airline has issued an urgent advisory to passengers planning trips from the UAE to the United Kingdom: from 25 February 2026, eligible travellers who have not secured a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will be denied boarding. The warning follows the UK Home Office’s acceleration of its digital-border programme, which replaces physical immigration vignettes with e-Visas and introduces the ETA for short-stay, visa-exempt visitors.
Under the new rules, nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries—including many Emiratis who currently enjoy visa-free entry for stays up to six months—must complete an online application, pay a £10 fee and receive approval before departure. Travellers who hold existing UK visas based on paper documents must also create a UK Visas & Immigration account to convert their status to an e-Visa and link their current passport.
The change has immediate implications for companies that routinely send staff from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to London for meetings. Mobility teams will need to update pre-trip checklists, ensure travellers’ passports are digitally linked to UKVI accounts and build in time to obtain ETA clearances, which UK authorities say will be processed “within three working days” in most cases.
![Emirates tells UAE travellers: No UK Electronic Travel Authorisation, no boarding from 25 February]()
For those looking to simplify these new requirements, VisaHQ offers comprehensive support through its UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/). The platform walks travellers through the UK ETA application step-by-step, provides document-review services, and delivers real-time status updates—making it easier for both individual visitors and corporate mobility managers to stay compliant and avoid last-minute surprises.
Failure to comply could strand employees at the gate and trigger missed-meeting costs. Airlines will be fined for transporting passengers who arrive without an ETA, so check-in agents will refuse boarding if the digital permission is not visible in the Advance Passenger Information (API) feed. Travel-management companies are advising corporates to automate ETA status-checks in booking tools and to alert travellers whose itineraries change last-minute.
Long-term, the UK is positioning the ETA as a multi-year travel pass similar to the US ESTA; but during the roll-out period, UAE businesses must navigate a hybrid system in which some nationals need the permit and others do not. Emirates’ early warning is therefore a critical heads-up for firms mapping 2026 travel budgets and compliance regimes.
Under the new rules, nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries—including many Emiratis who currently enjoy visa-free entry for stays up to six months—must complete an online application, pay a £10 fee and receive approval before departure. Travellers who hold existing UK visas based on paper documents must also create a UK Visas & Immigration account to convert their status to an e-Visa and link their current passport.
The change has immediate implications for companies that routinely send staff from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to London for meetings. Mobility teams will need to update pre-trip checklists, ensure travellers’ passports are digitally linked to UKVI accounts and build in time to obtain ETA clearances, which UK authorities say will be processed “within three working days” in most cases.
For those looking to simplify these new requirements, VisaHQ offers comprehensive support through its UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/). The platform walks travellers through the UK ETA application step-by-step, provides document-review services, and delivers real-time status updates—making it easier for both individual visitors and corporate mobility managers to stay compliant and avoid last-minute surprises.
Failure to comply could strand employees at the gate and trigger missed-meeting costs. Airlines will be fined for transporting passengers who arrive without an ETA, so check-in agents will refuse boarding if the digital permission is not visible in the Advance Passenger Information (API) feed. Travel-management companies are advising corporates to automate ETA status-checks in booking tools and to alert travellers whose itineraries change last-minute.
Long-term, the UK is positioning the ETA as a multi-year travel pass similar to the US ESTA; but during the roll-out period, UAE businesses must navigate a hybrid system in which some nationals need the permit and others do not. Emirates’ early warning is therefore a critical heads-up for firms mapping 2026 travel budgets and compliance regimes.
