Report It Subscribe
Report It Subscribe

UK set to fully enforce ETA scheme - ‘NO PERMISSION, NO TRAVEL’ FROM 25 FEBRUARY 2026

The UK Government has announced that from 25 February 2026, everyone who wants to get on a plane, train or ferry to the UK will need advance permission to travel. They will start to strictly enforce the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme from then.

On this page, we summarise the key information for EU citizens who live in the UK - who do NOT need an ETA to travel back. However, to ensure you have advance permission to travel, it’s best to:

  • check your eVisa is working
  • AND that your travel document (passport or national identity card) is attached to it.

We go through these steps below, as well as information for dual nationals.

These are practical tips on what you can do to minimise any disruption to your trip. This is just a basic overview, if you have detailed questions please consult a legal advisor.

🎄 Your holiday travel checklist: eVisa & Passport linking 

 

Step 1: Make sure your eVisa is working 

Your eVisa is your existing UKVI account - which is your digital status. 

Log in through this government website, using the green 'View your eVisa and get a share code >' button.

 

 

Make sure you can see your eVisa, that all your details are correct, and that you can generate share codes.

Step 2: Ensure your correct travel document is linked

This will become essential from 25th February 2026.

Use the Update My Details service, available from this government webpage, using the green 'Update your UKVI account >' button.

 

 

Important: Do NOT use the EU Exit: ID Document Check app - it triggers a new EUSS application by mistake.

There are two main update routes: 

  1. Like for like passport/national id card updates

    This is when only your document number and its expiry date have changed.

    → You will be required to upload a photograph of the new document.
    → Follow the Home Office video for more information.
     
  2. Updates involving other changes 

    This is when your name has changed (for example, if you now have a married name), or you are a dual national (and neither of your nationalities is British) and you are adding a passport for a different nationality than the one you currently use to log in with.  

    → You will be guided to use the UK Immigration: ID Check app (NOT the EU Exit app!).
    → You’ll also have to supply a photo of yourself, and the app will scan your face.
    → Follow the Home Office video for more information.

⚠️ If you are waiting for a decision (on your first EUSS application; or you have pre-settled status and have applied for settled status), you won’t be able to link a new passport or national identity card to your account. We have raised this in our letters to the Home Office and we encourage you to write to your MP and complain to the Independent Monitoring Authority about this.

Step 3: REPORT IT!

If you cannot login to your eVisa, if your details look wrong, or if you have any problems in linking your document to your account, then:  

Step 4: Just in case…

None of the following suggestions are guaranteed to work, but it may be helpful to be prepared:

  • Generate a share code (choose the ‘Something Else’ type of share code) before you travel. Share codes are valid for 3 months. The Home Office says you can show a share code to a carrier, but we are aware of some carriers that are not willing to use share codes to log in to UK Government websites.
  • Take a screenshot of your eVisa.
  • Save your original EUSS decision letter so that you can access it even if you are offline at the airport.
  • Connect to the airport WiFi on arrival so that if challenged, you are able to view and show your eVisa there and then.
🇪🇺🇬🇧 Are you a dual national (including British/Irish)?

If you are a dual national who is also British and/or Irish, you do not need an ETA. As a British or Irish citizen, you are not eligible to apply for an ETA on your “other” non-British/non-Irish passport.

Your holiday travel action: 

→ If you were granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme before naturalising to become a dual British citizen, you can continue to travel on your existing passport / national identity card, and do not need to travel to or enter the UK on a British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement - see GOV.UK guidance on Dual Citizenship, the section entitled "When you can travel with another passport or national identity card". Make sure your passport / national id card is linked to your eVisa however.

→ If you weren't granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, then make sure you have a valid British or Irish passport, or a Certificate of Entitlement.

Since February 2026, you are likely to face a lot of complexity when travelling if you don’t have proof of your British or Irish citizenship (unless you also have EUSS status as explained above). See GOV.UK guidance on travelling for dual citizens.

Passport renewals - especially from abroad - can take time, so don’t leave this until after Christmas.

It is possible to get a Certificate of Entitlement (CoE), which is now digital. Although this costs more than a British or Irish passport, it no longer needs to be renewed every time you renew your non-British passport, instead you simply link your renewed passports to your digital CoE.

See also our FAQ on how booking trips and travelling with two passports works in practice: I am a dual British-EU citizen. I don’t need an ETA. How does this work in practice?

🧸 Do your children have dual nationality or a UK immigration status (pre-settled/settled/etc)?

Your holiday travel action: 

→ If your child is British or Irish, apply for a British/Irish passport (unless they were granted EUSS status before becoming British, in which case they can continue travelling on their non-British passport as set out in the section above).

→ If they hold UK immigration status, make sure their eVisa is working and their latest passport or ID document is linked to it. 

→ If you have not yet applied for a UK immigration status for your child, please do so as soon as possible. You may otherwise face problems travelling. You need to submit an application within three months of your child's birth or arrival in the UK, otherwise you might be charged for NHS treatment. Please seek advice if this applies to you.

🛂 Is your only proof of status an old passport stamp or vignette (Indefinite Leave to Remain)?

For the time being, you are still allowed to travel, by having both your current passport and your old passport containing the immigration stamp or sticker with you to show to the carriers.

However, you might find it more convenient to get an eVisa (digital status) by either:

→ Making a late EU Settlement Scheme application (if eligible). This is free, and will ensure you are given Withdrawal Agreement rights (which includes the ability to leave the UK for up to 5 years without losing your status).

→ Making a free No Time Limit (NTL) application (which converts your physical only proof into a digital eVisa)

⌛ Do you have a Certificate of Application (CoA) for a pending EUSS application?

⚠️ Holiday travel warning

The rules around travel with a CoA are very complex.

Only travel if you are confident that you fall within the categories that are likely to be granted entry at the UK border. Visa nationals should not travel unless they still have a valid EUSS Family Permit.

→ You may be asked for evidence that you are eligible to the EU Settlement Scheme - this can be residence evidence (especially for before 31st December 2020) for your relevant period, and evidence of your relationship with your sponsor if you are applying as a family member. 

→ You won’t be able to link a new passport or national identity card to your account while your application is pending. We have raised this in our letters to the Home Office and we encourage you to write to your MP and complain to the IMA about this. The Home Office says that if this situation applies to you then you should generate a share code to give to a carrier to prove your right to travel. However, we cannot guarantee that a carrier will accept a share code so you may still be prevented from boarding.  

✈️ Are your friends or family who live abroad visiting you? 

They won’t need an ETA if:

→ They are British or Irish (or dual national where one of the nationalities is British or Irish). Follow travel actions in the relevant section above instead.

→ They have a valid immigration status in the UK (even if they’re not living here).  Follow travel actions in the relevant section above instead.

→ They’re from a country that requires a visa to visit the UK. They must apply for a visitor visa instead.

They will need an ETA If they’re from a country that requires an ETA to visit the UK (this list changes over time, so do check it). All EU countries are currently on this list.

Their holiday travel actions if they need an ETA:

→ Apply for an ETA through the government website.

⚠️Other websites might charge more, and won’t result in any quicker service. Some websites are entirely fraudulent. 

→ Check whether they have a valid ETA attached to their passport here.

→ ETAs are attached to a passport not to a person - so if the passport with attached ETA expires, or is lost or stolen, they need to apply for a new ETA with their new passport. 

get involved  Join our campaigns