The grace period is over. As of 25 February 2026 every traveller who is not a British or Irish citizen—and who previously entered the UK visa-free—must hold an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before boarding a plane, ferry or Eurostar. Airlines have integrated live Home Office “permission-to-travel” feeds and must refuse carriage to passengers whose passport is not paired with a valid ETA. The ETA costs £16, is valid for two years (or until passport expiry) and can be obtained via a mobile app in under ten minutes; however, applications can be escalated for security checks, so the Home Office advises applying at least 72 hours in advance.
![‘No Permission, No Travel’: Electronic Travel Authorisation now mandatory for all non-visa nationals]()
VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline this process: the service pre-checks your passport details, lodges the ETA application and sends status alerts as well as renewal reminders, sparing travellers and corporate mobility teams from last-minute scrambles. See how it works at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
Since soft-launching in 2023 the scheme has processed more than 19 million applications with a 97 % same-day approval rate. Business-travel stakeholders predict little impact on well-prepared travellers but warn that last-minute trips—particularly to London’s financial district—could be disrupted if executives forget to renew an ETA issued under a previous passport. Carriers found carrying passengers without an ETA face penalties equivalent to those for ferrying visa nationals without a visa, making compliance a core operational priority for airlines. Global mobility teams should update travel-approval workflows to include an ETA check, remind frequent flyers that each passport needs its own approval, and build ETA validity into employer-sponsored meet-and-assist services. For visitors attending UK-based conferences after February, adding the ETA receipt to registration packs will minimise airport surprises.
VisaHQ’s online platform can streamline this process: the service pre-checks your passport details, lodges the ETA application and sends status alerts as well as renewal reminders, sparing travellers and corporate mobility teams from last-minute scrambles. See how it works at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
Since soft-launching in 2023 the scheme has processed more than 19 million applications with a 97 % same-day approval rate. Business-travel stakeholders predict little impact on well-prepared travellers but warn that last-minute trips—particularly to London’s financial district—could be disrupted if executives forget to renew an ETA issued under a previous passport. Carriers found carrying passengers without an ETA face penalties equivalent to those for ferrying visa nationals without a visa, making compliance a core operational priority for airlines. Global mobility teams should update travel-approval workflows to include an ETA check, remind frequent flyers that each passport needs its own approval, and build ETA validity into employer-sponsored meet-and-assist services. For visitors attending UK-based conferences after February, adding the ETA receipt to registration packs will minimise airport surprises.
