Reminder: European travellers now need an ETA before visiting the U.K.

A blog post dated 7 March 2026 on specialist site ETA-England reiterates that nationals of all European Economic Area states, Switzerland and several micro-states must hold an Electronic Travel Authorisation before boarding transport to the U.K. for stays of up to six months. Although the requirement has been phased-in since 2025, carriers report a fresh wave of refusals as spring travel picks up.

An ETA costs £10, is valid for two years and can be obtained via a mobile app or the GOV.UK portal. The post reminds passengers that without an approved ETA carriers will deny boarding; arrival at the border without one is no longer possible. Travellers whose passport expires within two years must apply again once a new document is issued.



If the GOV.UK platform feels overwhelming or you’re coordinating multiple travellers at once, VisaHQ can step in to manage the paperwork. Through its U.K.-specific page (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/), the service offers guided applications, real-time status tracking and customer support—for both individual tourists and corporate travel teams—helping ensure that the £10 authorisation is in hand well before check-in.

For corporate travel managers the message is clear: integrate ETA checks into booking workflows and traveller-tracking tools, much as U.S. ESTA and Canada eTA have long been embedded. Failure to do so can cause missed meetings and last-minute re-ticketing costs.

EU clients visiting U.K. offices should be briefed well ahead of trips, and event organisers should add ETA guidance to invitations, especially for conferences scheduled after Easter.