From 25 February the United Kingdom requires most visa-exempt visitors—including citizens of Germany and the wider EU—to hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before boarding a plane, ferry or train. The permit costs £16, is valid for two years and allows stays of up to six months per trip. Airlines and Eurostar have been instructed to refuse carriage to passengers whose passports are not digitally linked to an approved ETA. (independent.co.uk)
British and Irish nationals are exempt, but dual German-British citizens who previously travelled on a German passport must now carry a valid British passport or buy a £589 certificate of entitlement—a change that caught many expatriates and business commuters off-guard. The Home Office says enforcement is “vital for border security”; an increase to £20 is already under discussion.
![UK Electronic Travel Authorisation Now Mandatory—German Travellers Must Apply Before Boarding]()
For travellers who would rather outsource the new paperwork, VisaHQ can complete the ETA application, keep you updated on its status, and securely link the authorization to your passport—everything accessible through their German portal at https://www.visahq.com/germany/
For German corporates the impact is immediate: short-notice trips to London financial centres or UK project sites will require an extra administrative step. Travel managers should embed ETA-status checks into booking workflows and alert frequent travellers that processing can take up to 72 hours if manual review is triggered.
The ETA is broadly similar to the forthcoming EU-ETIAS system that will apply to UK nationals from late 2026, signalling a tit-for-tat digital-border era. Firms with staff who shuttle between Frankfurt and the City of London should budget for the new fee and monitor carrier-compliance fines that may translate into stricter check-in procedures at German airports.
British and Irish nationals are exempt, but dual German-British citizens who previously travelled on a German passport must now carry a valid British passport or buy a £589 certificate of entitlement—a change that caught many expatriates and business commuters off-guard. The Home Office says enforcement is “vital for border security”; an increase to £20 is already under discussion.
For travellers who would rather outsource the new paperwork, VisaHQ can complete the ETA application, keep you updated on its status, and securely link the authorization to your passport—everything accessible through their German portal at https://www.visahq.com/germany/
For German corporates the impact is immediate: short-notice trips to London financial centres or UK project sites will require an extra administrative step. Travel managers should embed ETA-status checks into booking workflows and alert frequent travellers that processing can take up to 72 hours if manual review is triggered.
The ETA is broadly similar to the forthcoming EU-ETIAS system that will apply to UK nationals from late 2026, signalling a tit-for-tat digital-border era. Firms with staff who shuttle between Frankfurt and the City of London should budget for the new fee and monitor carrier-compliance fines that may translate into stricter check-in procedures at German airports.
