Finnish citizens planning short visits to the United Kingdom will soon have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before boarding a plane, ferry or Eurostar train. In a statement released on 18 February 2026, the UK Home Office confirmed that its ETA programme—currently being rolled out in phases—will cover travellers from more than 85 visa-exempt countries, including Finland, from 25 February 2026.
Under the new rules, Finns (along with other Schengen citizens who currently enter the UK with just a passport) must complete an online application, pay a £10 processing fee, upload a passport image and answer a series of security questions. Decisions are expected “within 72 hours,” but carriers will be required to verify a passenger’s approved ETA electronically at check-in; boarding will be denied if an approval cannot be confirmed.
The UK government argues that the system will strengthen border security, allow authorities to screen visitors against intelligence databases before they travel, and bring the UK into line with similar programmes such as the United States’ ESTA and the forthcoming EU ETIAS. Once granted, a UK ETA will be valid for multiple short stays (of up to six months each) over a two-year period, or until the traveller’s passport expires—whichever comes first.
![UK Expands ETA Scheme to Finnish Nationals, Making Pre-Travel Authorisation Mandatory from February 2026]()
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the change imposes a new administrative step for Finnish business travellers and Nordic tourists alike. Employers will need to update travel policies, ensure that employees download the ETA mobile app, and build in extra lead time when booking last-minute meetings or project visits to Britain. Finnish tour operators are already adjusting booking platforms so that customers are prompted to apply for an ETA well before departure. Airlines serving the Helsinki-London route—Finnair, British Airways and Norwegian—are testing system integrations to avoid airport delays.
For Finns who would rather outsource the paperwork, VisaHQ’s dedicated Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) can manage the entire ETA application on their behalf, offering clear checklists, secure document uploads and live status updates. The same platform also handles UK work visas and dozens of other destinations, giving travellers and mobility managers a single, trusted dashboard for global compliance.
Immigration advisors note that the ETA does **not** replace work visas: Finns undertaking paid work or long-term assignments in the UK will still need the appropriate skilled-worker or temporary-worker permit. However, the new requirement does mean that anyone with an expired passport or criminal-record concern could be refused boarding even for a short conference trip, making early compliance checks essential for global-mobility teams.
Under the new rules, Finns (along with other Schengen citizens who currently enter the UK with just a passport) must complete an online application, pay a £10 processing fee, upload a passport image and answer a series of security questions. Decisions are expected “within 72 hours,” but carriers will be required to verify a passenger’s approved ETA electronically at check-in; boarding will be denied if an approval cannot be confirmed.
The UK government argues that the system will strengthen border security, allow authorities to screen visitors against intelligence databases before they travel, and bring the UK into line with similar programmes such as the United States’ ESTA and the forthcoming EU ETIAS. Once granted, a UK ETA will be valid for multiple short stays (of up to six months each) over a two-year period, or until the traveller’s passport expires—whichever comes first.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the change imposes a new administrative step for Finnish business travellers and Nordic tourists alike. Employers will need to update travel policies, ensure that employees download the ETA mobile app, and build in extra lead time when booking last-minute meetings or project visits to Britain. Finnish tour operators are already adjusting booking platforms so that customers are prompted to apply for an ETA well before departure. Airlines serving the Helsinki-London route—Finnair, British Airways and Norwegian—are testing system integrations to avoid airport delays.
For Finns who would rather outsource the paperwork, VisaHQ’s dedicated Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) can manage the entire ETA application on their behalf, offering clear checklists, secure document uploads and live status updates. The same platform also handles UK work visas and dozens of other destinations, giving travellers and mobility managers a single, trusted dashboard for global compliance.
Immigration advisors note that the ETA does **not** replace work visas: Finns undertaking paid work or long-term assignments in the UK will still need the appropriate skilled-worker or temporary-worker permit. However, the new requirement does mean that anyone with an expired passport or criminal-record concern could be refused boarding even for a short conference trip, making early compliance checks essential for global-mobility teams.
