Britons around the world are starting to panic ahead of the introduction of the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) regime on 25 February. The Home Office has launched a high-visibility information campaign targeting airlines, ferry companies, rail operators and future visitors. From 25 February 2026, citizens of 85 visa-exempt countries - including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and all EU member states - will need to have an approved ETA (or e-Visa) before they can board any transport to the UK. British and Irish citizens are exempt, as are travellers who already hold another type of British visa or an e-Visa linked to their passport.
Transport companies will be legally obliged to verify the ETA status of each passenger through a government API, in the same way that they currently validate passport details. Failure to comply with this rule could result in civil penalties of up to £50,000 per flight or ferry journey. Industry sources indicate that the tight deadline is forcing some operators to accelerate technological integrations that were planned for later in the year, while smaller ferry lines are urgently seeking external providers that can connect to the Home Office’s Border Control system.
The ETA is not a visa, but a digital pre-authorisation that costs £16 and is valid for two years (or until the traveller’s passport expires). Most applications are processed automatically within minutes, although the authorities recommend allowing up to three working days in case a manual review is required. Children need their own ETA, and travellers will need to reapply if they renew their passport.
But there is a great deal of confusion and the Liberal Democrats have urged the Home Office to introduce a short ‘grace period’ so that families caught out by the change are not stranded abroad. Shadow immigration minister Will Forster said the “chaotic communication” around the rollout has left thousands of UK citizens overseas frantically booking emergency passport appointments, cancelling trips, and, in some cases, missing funerals or medical treatment.
According to VisaHQ industry groups Abta and Airlines UK back a phased approach, warning that airports could see last-minute confusion at half-term. Travel-rights campaigners add that the alternative certificate of entitlement—priced at £589 each time a new passport is issued—hits families with children hardest and may discriminate against women whose married names differ across passports.