Six years after Brexit ended passport-free mobility, the United Kingdom has switched on full enforcement of its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. From 25 February, German citizens—as well as travellers from 84 other visa-exempt countries—must hold an approved ETA before boarding flights, ferries or Eurostar trains to the UK. Airlines face fines for transporting passengers without the digital permit, which costs £16 (about €18), is valid for two years and can be obtained via a smartphone app in as little as ten minutes.
![UK Introduces Mandatory Electronic Travel Authorisation for German Visitors]()
For anyone who would rather not navigate the process alone, VisaHQ’s German portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) offers step-by-step assistance, pre-screens documents and keeps a digital record of each approval—features that can save both individual travellers and corporate mobility teams precious time and minimise costly errors.
The British Home Office says the measure brings the UK into line with comparable programmes such as the US ESTA and Canada’s eTA, and that more than 19 million approvals have already been issued since the phased roll-out began in 2023. Migration Minister Mike Tapp calls the system “a cornerstone of a contactless border” that will eventually replace passport stamping. Dual UK-German nationals are exempt but must travel on a British passport or certificate of entitlement; national ID cards are no longer acceptable. For German corporates the immediate concern is employee readiness. Travel managers at Siemens and SAP confirmed to Global Mobility News that short-notice day trips—common for client meetings in London—now require an extra compliance checkpoint, and that HR systems are being updated to flag when ETA validity overlaps with passport expiry. Failure to match details has already led to boarding refusals for a handful of German travellers, according to the German Travel Association (DRV). The German Foreign Office updated its travel advice pages on 25 February, warning that “improvised” airport applications are not possible and advising travellers to apply at least 72 hours in advance. Data-privacy advocates in Berlin are pressing the UK for reciprocal guarantees ahead of the EU’s own ETIAS launch next year. Practical tip: companies should incorporate the ETA QR-code upload into their standard travel-approval workflow and remind staff to carry the passport used in the application. Frequent flyers may wish to apply immediately after renewing a passport to maximise the two-year validity window.
For anyone who would rather not navigate the process alone, VisaHQ’s German portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) offers step-by-step assistance, pre-screens documents and keeps a digital record of each approval—features that can save both individual travellers and corporate mobility teams precious time and minimise costly errors.
The British Home Office says the measure brings the UK into line with comparable programmes such as the US ESTA and Canada’s eTA, and that more than 19 million approvals have already been issued since the phased roll-out began in 2023. Migration Minister Mike Tapp calls the system “a cornerstone of a contactless border” that will eventually replace passport stamping. Dual UK-German nationals are exempt but must travel on a British passport or certificate of entitlement; national ID cards are no longer acceptable. For German corporates the immediate concern is employee readiness. Travel managers at Siemens and SAP confirmed to Global Mobility News that short-notice day trips—common for client meetings in London—now require an extra compliance checkpoint, and that HR systems are being updated to flag when ETA validity overlaps with passport expiry. Failure to match details has already led to boarding refusals for a handful of German travellers, according to the German Travel Association (DRV). The German Foreign Office updated its travel advice pages on 25 February, warning that “improvised” airport applications are not possible and advising travellers to apply at least 72 hours in advance. Data-privacy advocates in Berlin are pressing the UK for reciprocal guarantees ahead of the EU’s own ETIAS launch next year. Practical tip: companies should incorporate the ETA QR-code upload into their standard travel-approval workflow and remind staff to carry the passport used in the application. Frequent flyers may wish to apply immediately after renewing a passport to maximise the two-year validity window.
