The United Kingdom’s digital-border overhaul reached a key milestone on 25 February 2026 as the Home Office switched on mandatory Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for all previously visa-exempt visitors. For UAE residents the policy has a double impact. Emiratis and expatriates alike must now secure the £16 clearance before boarding, but British passport-holders who also carry another nationality face a bigger shift: they can no longer rely on the ‘right of abode’ when travelling on their foreign passport.
Airlines have been instructed to deny boarding unless the traveller presents either a valid British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement attached to the non-British passport, effectively forcing dual nationals to carry their UK document. Social-media groups for Gulf expatriates lit up with stories of families turned away at check-in, prompting a spike in emergency passport applications at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Processing from overseas can take seven weeks, leaving little margin for last-minute business trips or urgent personal travel.
For companies managing assignees in the UAE, the message is clear: audit the nationality mix of your British-linked staff and ensure they travel on compliant documents. Employers who fund annual home leave should consider covering ETA costs and factoring in longer lead times when booking flights. HR policies may also need to address the £589 fee and multi-week processing time for a Certificate of Entitlement where employees cannot obtain a British passport.
![UK makes Electronic Travel Authorisation mandatory—and dual British-UAE nationals face new hurdles]()
Companies and individual travellers who would rather outsource the red tape can turn to VisaHQ, which streamlines UK ETA applications alongside passport renewals and Certificates of Entitlement. Its UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists and real-time status updates, helping minimise the risk of last-minute surprises.
The ETA itself is valid for two years or until passport expiry and allows multiple entries. Carriers must check the digital authorisation via Advance Passenger Information feeds before passengers board. The system mirrors the US ESTA and will dovetail with Europe’s forthcoming ETIAS, underscoring a global pivot toward pre-travel risk screening.
Failure to comply can be costly: UK fines airlines up to £10,000 per improperly documented passenger, which is why Gulf carriers are enforcing the rule strictly. Travellers should apply on the official gov.uk portal and avoid third-party fee-charging sites that have mushroomed since the announcement.
Airlines have been instructed to deny boarding unless the traveller presents either a valid British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement attached to the non-British passport, effectively forcing dual nationals to carry their UK document. Social-media groups for Gulf expatriates lit up with stories of families turned away at check-in, prompting a spike in emergency passport applications at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Processing from overseas can take seven weeks, leaving little margin for last-minute business trips or urgent personal travel.
For companies managing assignees in the UAE, the message is clear: audit the nationality mix of your British-linked staff and ensure they travel on compliant documents. Employers who fund annual home leave should consider covering ETA costs and factoring in longer lead times when booking flights. HR policies may also need to address the £589 fee and multi-week processing time for a Certificate of Entitlement where employees cannot obtain a British passport.
Companies and individual travellers who would rather outsource the red tape can turn to VisaHQ, which streamlines UK ETA applications alongside passport renewals and Certificates of Entitlement. Its UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists and real-time status updates, helping minimise the risk of last-minute surprises.
The ETA itself is valid for two years or until passport expiry and allows multiple entries. Carriers must check the digital authorisation via Advance Passenger Information feeds before passengers board. The system mirrors the US ESTA and will dovetail with Europe’s forthcoming ETIAS, underscoring a global pivot toward pre-travel risk screening.
Failure to comply can be costly: UK fines airlines up to £10,000 per improperly documented passenger, which is why Gulf carriers are enforcing the rule strictly. Travellers should apply on the official gov.uk portal and avoid third-party fee-charging sites that have mushroomed since the announcement.
