UK warns of tighter travel rules for Europeans in 2026

The UK government has warned European travellers that they will be refused entry from February 2026, if they do not have the required ETA visa waiver.

The UK first introduced its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in 2023, gradually rolling it out so that by April 2025 it was compulsory for anyone entering the UK – with the exception of those travelling on a UK or Irish passport.

But although the scheme has been in place for almost nine months now, people who have not had the required authorisation have mostly not actually been prevented from entering the country.

This phase is due to end on February 25th, 2026.

The UK government warns that from that date, people who don’t have the ETA if required will be denied entry, or denied boarding if travelling by plane.

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The UK government says: “From February 2026, visitors will not be able to travel to the UK without advance permission.

“This is a significant step towards digitising the immigration system and paves the way for a contactless UK border in the future.

“Enforcing will mean that everyone who wants to come to the UK must have digital permission through either an ETA or an eVisa. Carriers will be checking people before they travel.”

What is ETA?

The Electronic Travel Authorisation is, technically, not a visa, rather it is a visa waiver.

However its introduction ends paperwork-free travel to the UK for people from countries where a visa is not required for a short stay – including Americans, Canadian, Australians and citizens of all EU/EEA countries.

Only people who are travelling on a valid UK or Irish passport are exempt from the new requirement. People who have a British long-stay visa or residency status should show that at the border instead.

Travellers must apply for the ETA in advance of travel, and it can only be obtained online – find full instructions on how to get one HERE.

An ETA, at a cost of £16 (around €18), must be obtained for each traveller, including children. It is advised to apply for it at least three days in advance of travel, although the UK government says that “most applications are processed in minutes”. Once obtained, it is valid for two years – unless you get a new passport during that period.

Be careful that you are on the correct Gov.uk website or app, there are a lot of scammers out there, as well as companies that will charge you far in excess of the £16 fee to get the ETA for you. 

READ ALSO: How to avoid ETA scams for France-UK travel✎

What about dual nationals?

Unfortunately, when it comes to ETA the advice for British dual nationals, and Irish dual nationals for that matter, has been confusing and contradictory.

For people who have a valid UK passport, plus the passport of another country, the situation is quite simple – it’s advised to use the UK passport to enter the UK, in order to avoid the need for an ETA.

Dual British-Irish nationals can use either passport.

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However for those who are British citizens but who don’t have a current, valid UK passport (and perhaps have never had one) and who don’t fancy spending £108 on getting a UK passport when they already have a valid passport of another country, it’s a little more complicated.

In theory, they should be able to simply choose to travel on their other passport, and complete the ETA formalities as required. UK law does not require dual nationals to use their UK passport to enter the country as, for example, is the law in the USA.

However the ETA website and app appears to be set up in such a way that dual nationals can only get an ETA if they fail to disclose their British nationality.

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To make things worse, the UK government has constantly changed its advice and provided conflicting and sometimes misleading information on this topic.

The British Embassy in Sweden currently states “Dual British citizens must have a valid British passport when travelling to the UK.”

However the UK government factsheet currently says it is only “strongly advised” to have a valid British passport and warned that failure to have one could lead to passengers being “denied boarding”. 

The British government’s ETA page for dual citizens also warns that after February 25th 2026: “You may not be able to board your transport to the UK without a valid document.”

And it states: “You will need to have additional identity checks to verify your citizenship before you can go through UK passport control.”

In April, the Home Office told The Local: “In the future, British dual citizens who do not possess a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement may encounter difficulties at the point of boarding or at the UK border. It is advised that passengers in this position begin to make the necessary arrangements now, to avoid such complications at a later date.”

Getting or renewing a UK passport from outside the UK now costs £108, while a Certificate of Entitlement costs an eye-watering £550. Both processes take several weeks and in the case of a Certificate of Entitlement can involve an in-person visit to a visa processing centre.