From 2 April 2025, millions of European nationals began needing pre-travel permission to visit the UK for the first time. The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation, known as the ETA, had already been introduced for many non-European visa-free nationals, including visitors from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Gulf states.
Extending the ETA to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens was one of the most significant changes to UK entry requirements in recent years. If you are planning to travel to the UK, or if you have staff or family members who regularly visit, understanding who needs an ETA, who does not, and what happens if you get it wrong is now essential.
The ETA is a relatively straightforward piece of pre-travel administration for most people, but the exemptions are specific and important. Getting advice from a solicitor for british citizenship or immigration specialist matters most when you are uncertain about your status or are navigating more complex situations, such as those involving the EU Settlement Scheme, expired or unclear leave, or a previous immigration history in the UK.
What the UK ETA Actually Is
The ETA is not a visa. It is a digital permission to travel to the UK for people who do not need a visitor visa and do not already hold UK immigration permission. It does not give you the right to work in the UK, and it does not guarantee entry. Border Force officers retain the power to refuse entry even to someone who holds a valid ETA.
What the ETA does is pre-screen travellers before they board a flight, ferry, train or other carrier to the UK. Carriers are expected to check that passengers who need an ETA have one before allowing them to travel. If you do not have one and your nationality requires one, you may be refused boarding before you ever reach the UK border.
The full picture of how the ETA sits within the broader framework of recent UK immigration changes is covered in the news piece on the UK expanding the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme to European visitors.
Who Needs a UK ETA in 2026
The simplest way to understand who needs an ETA is to ask whether you would previously have been able to visit the UK without applying for a visa or holding UK immigration status. If the answer is yes, you will usually need an ETA now, unless you fall into one of the specific exemption categories.
The following groups of travellers generally require a UK ETA before travelling, provided they are visiting for a permitted short-stay purpose and do not hold UK immigration status:
- EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, except Irish citizens
- Nationals of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan
- Nationals of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman
- Nationals of many other countries who previously had visa-free access to the UK
ETA eligibility can change if a nationality is moved onto the UK visa national list. It is always sensible to check the current GOV.UK position before travel, especially if you have not visited the UK for some time.
The broader context around what these changes mean for non-EU and EEA nationals is covered in the news piece on non-EU and EEA nationals wanting to come to the UK after Brexit.
Who Does Not Need a UK ETA
The exemptions are specific. The following people do not need to apply for an ETA:
- British citizens travelling on a British passport
- Irish citizens, who continue to benefit from the Common Travel Area
- Dual British citizens, who should travel with a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode
- People who hold a valid UK visa for entry, whether a visit visa or another category
- People who hold current permission to live, work or study in the UK, including digital eVisa status
- People who hold Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- People who hold Indefinite Leave to Remain or Indefinite Leave to Enter
- British Nationals (Overseas) travelling on a BN(O) passport
- Frontier Workers who hold a valid Frontier Worker Permit
- Legal residents of Ireland who are travelling to the UK from within the Common Travel Area and can prove their Irish residence, where they are from a nationality that does not normally need a visa to visit the UK
The exemption for EU nationals who hold Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status is particularly important. If you are an EU national living in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme, you do not need an ETA when returning to the UK from abroad. Your settled or pre-settled status is your permission to enter, and it takes the place of an ETA.
ETA at a Glance: Key Facts
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cost | £20 per application per person |
| Validity | 2 years or until passport expiry, whichever is sooner |
| Trips allowed | Multiple trips within the validity period |
| Maximum stay per trip | Usually up to 6 months as a visitor |
| Decision timeframe | Often within a day, but travellers should allow up to 3 working days |
| Linked to | Your passport |
| Application method | UK ETA app or GOV.UK website |
| Work permitted | No employment or productive work outside permitted visitor activities |
| Entry guarantee | No, Border Force can still refuse entry |
The EU Settlement Scheme and the ETA: What You Need to Know
The relationship between the EU Settlement Scheme and the ETA is one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of the rules. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who applied to the EUSS and received either Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status do not need an ETA. Their immigration status already gives them permission to enter the UK.
However, Pre-Settled Status is not the same as permanent settlement. It is important to keep your UKVI account up to date, make sure your current passport is linked to your digital status, and understand when and how you may become eligible for Settled Status. If your status has expired, been refused, cancelled or is otherwise unclear, you should take advice before travelling. The news piece on what to do if your settled or pre-settled status is refused is worth reading carefully if you are in that position.
It is also worth noting that the eVisa system, which has replaced many physical immigration documents, is directly relevant to understanding your status when travelling. The news pieces on the UK’s new eVisa scheme and the postponement of the eVisa rollout give useful background context on how digital immigration status works in practice.
Visiting the UK on an ETA: What You Can and Cannot Do
An ETA allows you to travel to the UK for a short visit where you are eligible to enter under the visitor rules. The standard visitor rules apply to what you can do during your stay.
You may be able to:
- Visit the UK as a tourist
- Visit family or friends
- Attend business meetings, conferences or interviews
- Carry out certain permitted business activities
- Undertake short study, where allowed under the visitor rules
- Attend certain permitted paid engagements if the strict conditions are met
- Transit through the UK where the rules require an ETA
What you cannot do on an ETA is take employment in the UK, work for a UK employer, run a UK business from inside the UK, provide goods or services to the UK public, or access most public funds. Remote work may be permitted only where it is genuinely incidental to your visit and not the main purpose of coming to the UK.
A full breakdown of what is and is not permitted under visitor status is covered in the UK Standard Visitor Visa guide. The distinction between permitted business activities and work is one that catches out many international business travellers, particularly those travelling from the EU who were previously used to arriving without advance travel permission.
The ETA and Overseas Workers Coming to the UK
If you are an overseas worker who has been granted a Skilled Worker visa, you will hold digital status showing your permission to enter or remain in the UK. You do not need an ETA when travelling to the UK because your existing leave covers your entry.
However, the period before your visa is granted can create a more complex situation. If you are travelling to the UK to attend a job interview, speak to a potential employer, or explore whether the immigration for skilled workers route is right for you before committing to a visa application, you may need an ETA if you are a national of a country for which one is required.
Similarly, if you are considering the uk self sponsorship visa model and want to visit the UK to meet advisers or explore whether the route is suitable before your visa is in place, your entry would usually be as a visitor and you would need an ETA if your nationality requires one. You could not lawfully begin working in your UK business on a visitor entry, even with an ETA. Getting advice from a sponsor license solicitor on the correct sequencing of your entry and your visa application is important to avoid inadvertently breaching your visitor conditions.
For overseas businesses looking at the uk expansion worker visa route, senior personnel visiting the UK to assess the market or meet with prospective UK partners before any formal visa application would need an ETA if their nationality requires one. The ETA can cover this kind of preliminary visit, provided no work is carried out beyond what the visitor rules allow.
Business Travel, Sponsor Licences, and the ETA
If you are a UK employer who regularly brings overseas visitors to the UK for meetings, training, conferences or short-term engagements, the ETA changes the pre-travel checklist you need to share with those visitors. For EU and EEA nationals in particular, this is still relatively new territory. Until April 2025, no advance travel permission was needed for ordinary visits. Now, many such visitors need to apply for and receive an ETA before travelling.
If any of those visitors hold work authorisation in their home country, that does not automatically exempt them from the UK ETA. The UK’s ETA requirements are determined by UK immigration rules, not by a visitor’s immigration status in another country.
If your business sponsors overseas workers and your sponsor licence is currently under review, suspended or revoked, it is worth understanding that a sponsorship licence revoked decision affects your sponsored workers’ ability to enter and remain in the UK, quite separately from the ETA system. For context on how these compliance issues are handled, the news piece on understanding sponsor licence compliance is a useful starting point.
Recent Immigration Fee Increases and the ETA
The ETA costs £20 per application. This is separate from any visa fees that apply if your nationality or purpose of travel requires a full visa rather than an ETA. The UK’s immigration fees have been increasing consistently, and the update to Home Office charges is covered in the news piece on updated immigration fees from 9 April 2025.
For anyone building a longer-term immigration pathway, understanding the full cost picture at each stage is important. Whether you are applying for a student visa, a spouse visa, or planning a journey towards Indefinite Leave to Remain, fee increases have affected the total cost at every stage.
The ETA, British Citizenship, and Long-Term Planning
For EU and EEA nationals who have been living in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme and are approaching eligibility for British citizenship, the ETA is largely irrelevant to their day-to-day lives in the UK. Their settled or pre-settled status covers their right to live in and enter the UK. Naturalisation as a British citizen removes that dependence on immigration status entirely.
The requirements for naturalisation generally include holding settled status or another form of indefinite leave, meeting the residence requirements, passing the Life in the UK test, meeting the English language requirement where applicable, and satisfying the good character requirement. The specific rules around the good character requirement for British naturalisation and the impact of time spent outside the UK on a citizenship application are covered in detail in the news section.
For EU nationals who have become British citizens, the ETA is simply not something that applies to them when they travel as British citizens. They should use a British passport or evidence of right of abode when travelling to the UK. The broader picture of what British citizenship means for EEA nationals and their family members is explored in the news piece of that name.
If you are at or approaching the point where you could apply for British citizenship, working with a solicitor for british citizenship ensures your application is built on solid ground and that nothing in your immigration history or travel record creates an unnecessary complication at the final stage.
The Bigger Picture: The UK’s Immigration Direction in 2026
The ETA is part of a broader tightening and digitalisation of the UK’s approach to entry and immigration control. The May 2025 immigration white paper signalled further changes across multiple immigration routes, and the UK government’s proposals for stricter visa scrutiny reflect a continuing policy direction towards more controlled and documented entry to the UK.
The recent changes in UK immigration rules and their implications piece gives a useful overview of how the various strands of policy change fit together, and why the why the UK’s immigration system and its increasing digitalisation continue to create challenges for applicants and advisers alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an ETA if I am an EU national with Pre-Settled Status who is visiting the UK from abroad?
No. Your Pre-Settled Status is your permission to enter the UK and it takes the place of an ETA. You should make sure your UKVI account is up to date and that the passport you travel with is linked to your digital status.
Can I apply for an ETA on behalf of someone else?
Yes. Applications can be made on behalf of a family member or another person, including children. You will need their passport details and a photograph. If the person is with you, you can use the UK ETA app. If they are not with you, you should apply online.
What happens if I arrive in the UK without an ETA when I need one?
You may be refused boarding before you travel, because carriers are expected to check permission to travel. If you somehow arrive at the UK border without the ETA you needed, Border Force may refuse entry. You should not rely on being allowed to resolve the problem at the border.
Does an ETA allow me to work in the UK?
No. An ETA is visitor permission only. Taking employment or doing productive work for a UK company while relying on visitor permission is a breach of your conditions and can affect future immigration applications, including any visa application or citizenship application. If you want to work in the UK, you need the appropriate visa.
If my ETA application is refused, can I appeal?
There is no formal right of appeal against an ETA refusal. If your ETA is refused, you may be able to reapply if the issue can be corrected, or you may need to apply for a visa if you still wish to travel to the UK. In more complex cases, specialist advice may be needed on whether any further legal remedy, including an appeal or judicial review, is realistic.
I am a US national who visits the UK regularly for work meetings. Do I need to change anything about how I travel?
Yes. You need an ETA before travelling to the UK unless you hold another form of valid UK immigration permission. Once granted, the ETA covers multiple trips for up to 2 years, or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. Business meetings are generally permitted as visitor activities, but doing productive work for a UK employer is not.
Will the ETA affect how long I can stay in the UK?
The ETA itself does not extend the normal visitor rules. Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months per visit, but Border Force can ask questions about your intentions and may refuse entry if they are not satisfied that you are a genuine visitor. Repeated or lengthy visits can also raise questions about whether you are effectively living in the UK through visitor status.
Do I need an ETA if I am only transiting through the UK?
It depends on whether you pass through UK border control and which airport you use. Travellers who transit landside, meaning they pass through UK passport control, usually need an ETA if their nationality requires one. As of 2026, passengers transiting airside through Heathrow or Manchester without passing through UK passport control do not currently need an ETA, but transit rules can change and should be checked before travel.
Speak to Our Team
Whether you are an individual trying to understand your travel permissions, an EU national weighing up the path to British citizenship, or an employer managing the travel arrangements of overseas visitors and sponsored workers, the immigration rules around UK entry are becoming more layered every year.
Garth Coates Solicitors offers clear, practical advice on all aspects of UK immigration, from ETA queries to complex visa applications, sponsor licence management, and citizenship applications.
Call us on +44 (0)20 7799 1600 or contact us to request a consultation and a member of our team will be in touch promptly.
