In its monthly round-up of legislative changes published on 2 February 2026, the Federal Press Office highlighted a looming deadline for German and other visa-exempt travellers to the United Kingdom. From 25 February 2026, airlines and ferry operators are legally obliged to refuse boarding to passengers who cannot show a valid UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation). The £16 authorisation is valid for two years and multiple entries but must be secured at least 72 hours before departure.
Germany’s Foreign Office has already updated its travel advice pages to warn that improvised airport applications will not be possible. Carriers that transport non-compliant passengers face fines of up to £10 000 per person, making strict document checks inevitable.
The reminder comes amid evidence that many short-notice business travellers remain unaware of the new requirement because Germany, unlike Gulf or US nationals, has never before needed pre-travel clearance for the UK. Travel-management companies report that some travellers click past ETA prompts believing them to be marketing pop-ups.
![German government reminds travellers that UK electronic travel authorisation will be strictly enforced from 25 February]()
German travellers who prefer a guided digital process can turn to VisaHQ, whose Berlin-based team assists with UK ETA submissions and a wide range of other worldwide visas; the platform pre-checks documentation, sends timely alerts and channels applications directly to the British authorities. All services can be accessed at https://www.visahq.com/germany/
HR and mobility teams are urged to include ETA reminders in invitation letters, pre-trip approval workflows and automated check-lists. Travellers holding valid UK work visas or Irish residency are exempt, but German citizens with dual EU-and-UK nationality must bring the same passport that holds the ETA or face denial of boarding.
Beyond the immediate compliance issue, the UK government has signalled that ETA data will feed into risk-profiling algorithms similar to the US ESTA system. Privacy advocates are therefore calling on the German government to negotiate reciprocal data-protection safeguards when the EU launches its own ETIAS scheme in mid-2026.
Germany’s Foreign Office has already updated its travel advice pages to warn that improvised airport applications will not be possible. Carriers that transport non-compliant passengers face fines of up to £10 000 per person, making strict document checks inevitable.
The reminder comes amid evidence that many short-notice business travellers remain unaware of the new requirement because Germany, unlike Gulf or US nationals, has never before needed pre-travel clearance for the UK. Travel-management companies report that some travellers click past ETA prompts believing them to be marketing pop-ups.
German travellers who prefer a guided digital process can turn to VisaHQ, whose Berlin-based team assists with UK ETA submissions and a wide range of other worldwide visas; the platform pre-checks documentation, sends timely alerts and channels applications directly to the British authorities. All services can be accessed at https://www.visahq.com/germany/
HR and mobility teams are urged to include ETA reminders in invitation letters, pre-trip approval workflows and automated check-lists. Travellers holding valid UK work visas or Irish residency are exempt, but German citizens with dual EU-and-UK nationality must bring the same passport that holds the ETA or face denial of boarding.
Beyond the immediate compliance issue, the UK government has signalled that ETA data will feed into risk-profiling algorithms similar to the US ESTA system. Privacy advocates are therefore calling on the German government to negotiate reciprocal data-protection safeguards when the EU launches its own ETIAS scheme in mid-2026.
