The British High Commission in Canberra has reminded Australians that from 25 February 2026 most non-visa nationals—including Australians—must hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before boarding any flight, ferry or train to the United Kingdom. The message follows a UK Home Office push dubbed “No Permission, No Travel”, signalling the end of an extended soft-launch phase that began in 2023. (abc.net.au)
An ETA costs £16, is valid for two years and can be obtained via a mobile app or GOV.UK. Dual UK–Australian citizens remain exempt as long as they travel on a British or Irish passport or carry a Certificate of Entitlement. The High Commission warns that airlines will deny boarding to travellers whose passport numbers are not matched to a valid ETA—there will be no waiver desks on arrival. (abc.net.au)
![Mandatory UK Electronic Travel Authorisation countdown: Australian travellers have one month to adapt]()
For travellers who prefer expert help with the paperwork, VisaHQ’s Australian portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) provides step-by-step guidance, automated reminders and corporate reporting tools to simplify obtaining a UK ETA and other travel authorisations, easing the administrative burden on both individuals and travel managers.
For corporate-travel teams the change up-ends long-standing assumptions that Australia’s visa-waiver status guaranteed frictionless entry to Britain. Travel managers should build the three-day application window into booking workflows, update duty-of-care alerts and educate travellers about possible data-privacy concerns. High-value executives who hold both passports may need guidance on travelling as UK citizens to bypass the fee and pre-clearance requirement.
The UK move mirrors the EU’s upcoming ETIAS system and Australia’s own ETA model, underscoring a global pivot toward pre-border risk screening. Mobility professionals should expect similar digital-authorisation schemes to proliferate and ensure that traveller-profile systems can store multiple authorisation numbers per passport.
An ETA costs £16, is valid for two years and can be obtained via a mobile app or GOV.UK. Dual UK–Australian citizens remain exempt as long as they travel on a British or Irish passport or carry a Certificate of Entitlement. The High Commission warns that airlines will deny boarding to travellers whose passport numbers are not matched to a valid ETA—there will be no waiver desks on arrival. (abc.net.au)
For travellers who prefer expert help with the paperwork, VisaHQ’s Australian portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) provides step-by-step guidance, automated reminders and corporate reporting tools to simplify obtaining a UK ETA and other travel authorisations, easing the administrative burden on both individuals and travel managers.
For corporate-travel teams the change up-ends long-standing assumptions that Australia’s visa-waiver status guaranteed frictionless entry to Britain. Travel managers should build the three-day application window into booking workflows, update duty-of-care alerts and educate travellers about possible data-privacy concerns. High-value executives who hold both passports may need guidance on travelling as UK citizens to bypass the fee and pre-clearance requirement.
The UK move mirrors the EU’s upcoming ETIAS system and Australia’s own ETA model, underscoring a global pivot toward pre-border risk screening. Mobility professionals should expect similar digital-authorisation schemes to proliferate and ensure that traveller-profile systems can store multiple authorisation numbers per passport.
