The United Kingdom’s long-trailed transformation to a fully digital border finally becomes a reality next week. From 00:01 GMT on 25 February 2026, all carriers will be required to verify that visa-exempt travellers bound for the UK hold an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they board. Airport and seaport systems will ping UK Visas & Immigration’s databases in real time; anyone who needs – but has not obtained – an ETA will be denied boarding.
The Home Office first legislated for the scheme in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, piloted it with Qatari nationals in 2023 and has rolled it out in phases. What changes next week is enforcement: airlines will lose discretion and face civil penalties if they transport a non-British, non-Irish passenger who requires an ETA but does not have one. Business travellers from the United States, the EU and dozens of other visa-waiver countries therefore need to apply online (the process costs £16 and approvals are normally issued within hours).
Travel managers looking for a streamlined way to handle these new checks may want to explore VisaHQ’s digital solution. Via its dedicated United Kingdom portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/), the service lets individuals and corporate teams file ETA applications, track approvals in real time, and receive automated reminders—helping ensure that no traveller is caught out at the gate when the new enforcement regime starts.
The new rules hit dual nationals hardest. Britons who also hold another nationality – except Irish – can no longer rely on a second passport alone. They must present either a valid British passport or a £589 Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode before boarding. The Home Office has warned that even a single missed ETA check could see carriers fined up to £10,000 per passenger and lose ‘approved carrier’ status. Companies whose mobile employees use second passports to avoid business-visa formalities therefore need urgent communications to prevent travellers being stranded overseas.
Immigration lawyers welcome the clarity but worry about the compressed timeline. “Many dual nationals had assumed there would be a soft-launch period,” notes Fragomen partner Julia Onslow-Cole, “but the government has confirmed there will be zero grace.” Employers are being advised to audit upcoming travel, help affected staff renew passports and add ETA clearance to pre-trip checklists.
Practically, the ETA also paves the way for the UK’s broader digital border vision, including the replacement of physical entry stamps and the live tracking of overstayers. Businesses with frequent inbound visitors should build the ETA application step into travel-booking workflows and ensure immigration support vendors are ready for a spike in urgent applications on 24 February.
