Travelling into the UK is going to look a little different for millions of visitors next year. Residents of countries that don’t currently need a visa will be required to get a digital permit called an ETA.
Roll out of the permit began in October 2023 and currently applies to 48 non-European countries. However, it hasn’t been strictly enforced so far, allowing travellers to adjust to the new rules. Be warned, though – in a few months, it will become mandatory and apply to another 37 nationalities.
In an announcement on Monday (November 24), the government said that ETAs will be ‘a fundamental part of travel’ from early 2026. According to the Home Office, more than 13.3 million visitors so far have successfully ‘applied and benefited from faster, smoother travel’.
Without an ETA, nationals from 85 countries including the US, Canada, France and Australia won’t be able to legally travel into the UK. So, here’s everything you need to know.
What is an ETA?
ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation. Residents of countries that don’t need a visa to enter the UK will need to apply for one of these instead. It’s essentially digital permission for people to enter the country for up to six months for family or tourism purposes. If you’re familiar with the United States’ ESTA, this is the UK’s equivalent. It replaces the electronic visa waiver that travellers needed before.
The government says that the scheme will help streamline the digitisation of the UK’s immigration system and make travel ‘more seamless’.
When will travellers need an ETA to enter the UK?
An ETA will become mandatory for 85 countries from February 25, 2026.
How to get an ETA
There’s a UK ETA app that makes acquiring an ETA simple and quick. You can also apply online here. Applicants will need to provide details of a valid biometric passport, an email address and a payment method. Then, you’ll be required to upload a photo of your passport, a photo of yourself and answer a set of questions about your travel plans.
The permit costs £16 and will cover multiple journeys to the UK across two years for stays of up to six months.If your passport expires before those two years are up, you’ll have to apply for a new ETA.
Full list of countries that will need a permit
Here’s every nationality and territory that will need an ETA to enter the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from February 25 2026.
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic (Czechia)
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Hong Kong SAR (China)
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao SAR (China)
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Monaco
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Oman
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan (with ID card number)
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vatican City
Here’s everything you need to know about the new ‘visa’ that Brits will need to visit Europe.
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