ETA Rules from 25 February 2026
From 25 February 2026, expanded Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) enforcement is operating alongside strengthened carrier verification systems. Carriers transporting passengers to the UK by air, sea or rail are expected to verify, through automated permission checks, that a passenger holds the required permission or exemption before departure.
Where a carrier system cannot confirm permission or recognised exemption, boarding may be refused.
Travellers therefore need to ensure that their passport details align with any digital immigration status or travel permission on record. Where a category relies on documentary proof, such as a British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement, the correct and valid document has to be presented for travel.
We set out below how pre-departure verification and ETA enforcement now operate in practice for different categories of travellers.
Impact on Non-Visa Nationals Visiting the UK
Non-visa nationals are individuals who do not need to obtain a visa in advance for short visits to the UK, typically for up to six months, provided they meet the visitor rules.
Under the new enforcement model, most non-visa nationals travelling to the UK for visits of up to six months now need a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before departure, unless a recognised exemption applies. The ETA is digitally linked to the passport used for the application and is verified before boarding. If a traveller renews or replaces their passport, a new ETA linked to the new passport will normally be required before travel.
An ETA does not grant permission to work, undertake long-term study or settle in the UK. An appropriate visa or other immigration permission is required for those purposes.
Non-visa nationals are individuals who do not need to apply for a visa in advance for short visits to the UK, typically for up to six months, provided they meet the visitor rules.
Impact on Visa Nationals
The ETA scheme does not replace visa requirements for visa nationals. Visa nationals continue to require entry clearance before travelling to the UK, unless a specific exemption applies.
You should travel with a valid passport and proof of a valid UK visa or permission to enter, which in most cases will now be in digital form.
Carrier systems are designed to confirm the existence of valid entry clearance before boarding.
Impact on British Citizens, Irish Citizens & Dual Nationals
British and Irish citizens do not need (and cannot obtain) an ETA. British citizens should travel on a valid British passport and Irish citizens on a valid Irish passport.
Dual British nationals who attempt to board using only a non-UK passport from an ETA-eligible nationality may face boarding refusal. Automated permission-to-travel checks will assess whether the passport presented requires an ETA, and where British citizenship cannot be evidenced in a recognised format, the exemption may not be validated at boarding.
Where a British citizen holds another nationality but does not have a valid British passport, the accepted evidence of exemption is a valid Certificate of Entitlement evidencing the Right of Abode endorsed in the foreign passport.
The Home Office has confirmed a temporary concession in limited circumstances: carriers may permit travel where a dual British citizen holds both an expired UK passport issued in 1989 or later and a valid passport from an ETA-eligible nationality, provided the personal details match. Carrier acceptance, however, remains discretionary and the concession is temporary in nature. As such, individuals relying on British citizenship for entry will generally need a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement to satisfy this new enforcement model.
Also, this concession relates only to boarding and does not prevent identity verification or further checks on arrival.
Impact on Settled Status, Indefinite Leave and Other UK Residents
Individuals with status under the EU Settlement Scheme, Indefinite Leave to Remain or other forms of UK immigration permission are not required to obtain an ETA. You should instead travel with a valid passport and digital immigration status correctly linked to that passport.
Carrier systems are expected to confirm status digitally, as such, passport details and UKVI account details need to match exactly. Mismatches between old passports and digital records are already causing delays.
Implications for Employers and Business Travellers
Employers should anticipate short-term disruption to business travel. Dual British nationals who routinely travel on a non-UK passport may face boarding refusals, while employees with digital immigration status may experience delays if passport details are outdated in their UKVI account. Non-visa national business visitors without a valid ETA will not be permitted to board.
Internal briefings and information signposting can help to communicate the changes to employees travelling to the UK, not least to avoid the unwanted consequences and inconveniences of missed or delayed travel during the adjustment period.
Internal travel policies should also now include confirmation of correct passport being used for travel, a valid ETA where required or digital status properly linked to current passport.
DMS Perspective
Travel to the UK now depends on digital confirmation before departure. Boarding is no longer a matter of presenting documents and resolving issues at the desk. Passport details are checked against ETA records, visa data and digital immigration status before you travel. If the system cannot confirm the required permission or recognised exemption, the carrier may refuse you boarding. The scope for informal correction at the airport is narrower than it once was.
That places greater responsibility on the traveller.
Passport validity is the starting point. The document used for travel must match the document linked to your ETA, visa or digital immigration status. Where dual nationality is involved, personal details must align precisely across passports and UKVI records. Small discrepancies that previously passed unnoticed can now interrupt the boarding process.
For dual British citizens, reliance on an expired passport under the temporary concession carries inherent uncertainty. The concession remains discretionary. Renewal of a British passport provides greater predictability than testing the limits of operational guidance at the gate.
A short period of disruption is likely while carriers, travellers and employers adjust to a system that is increasingly automated.
Need Assistance?
If you have concerns or questions, book a fixed-fee telephone consultation with one of UK legal advisers to discuss your specific circumstances, either as an employer or an individual traveller.
