(UK) — The UK switched on its Electronic Travel Authorisation requirement for Australian travellers, forcing passengers to secure digital permission before airlines let them board for short trips.
Carrier enforcement started February 25, 2026, and airlines will prevent boarding without a valid ETA, eVisa, or other approved documentation for non-visa nationals, including Australians.
Australians planning holidays, family visits or other short stays now face an extra step before heading to the airport, because the ETA is checked as part of pre-travel screening rather than on arrival.
The change forms part of a wider shift toward digital permissioning at the UK border, as the government replaces physical documents with online status checks and eVisas.
Australians join a group of nationalities subject to the system, which the UK announced in November 2025 as it expanded the use of pre-arrival authorisations.
The move also reflects how border checks increasingly start with carriers, which must confirm travellers hold an accepted digital or physical permission before they fly.
Australian nationals now require an ETA to travel to the UK if they do not already hold a visa or UK immigration status.
Australian passport holders without a UK visa or existing immigration status fall within the requirement, alongside “84 other nationalities like US, Canada, France,” under the UK’s approach for non-visa nationals.
Families must account for the rule for every member of the group, because each traveller needs their own ETA, including infants and children.
British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA.
People who already have UK permission to live, work, or study also do not need an ETA, because existing status or permission covers them.
For those who do need an authorisation, the practical impact begins at the departure gate, not at passport control in the UK, because the check is tied to boarding.
Travellers without an ETA, eVisa, or other approved documentation may be denied boarding once carrier-side enforcement applies.
The ETA is digitally linked to the passport used in the application, meaning travellers must present that same passport when they travel.
Passengers who apply using one passport and then try to fly using another risk problems at check-in, because the authorisation does not sit as a paper document in a wallet.
Even with an ETA approval, admission remains a separate decision at the UK border.
Border Force still checks suitability on arrival, and an ETA does not guarantee entry.
The UK set out the process as primarily app-based, steering travellers to a smartphone route that performs identity and suitability checks before travel.
Applicants can use the UK ETA app from Google Play or Apple App Store, described as the easiest method.
Online pathways may exist, but the app is positioned as the simplest route for most travellers because it handles the required inputs in one flow.
The application asks for passport details and a facial image or photo, and requires travellers to answer suitability or criminality questions.
The decision often comes quickly, with most approvals automatic within minutes.
Some cases take longer due to manual checks, and travellers are told to allow up to 3 working days for travel to cover those reviews.
No physical document is issued once an ETA is granted.
Approval remains digital and passport-linked, with the authorisation verified through the passport used in the application rather than through a printed letter.
Cost will be a focal point for many holidaymakers, because the UK set a per-person charge rather than a per-booking fee.
The ETA carries a £16 fee, charged for each traveller.
Validity runs for 2 years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
That structure matters for travellers renewing passports, because a new passport can cut short an ETA’s usable life even if the 2-year period has not elapsed.
The authorisation permits multiple entries for short stays up to 6 months.
Permitted use includes tourism, visiting family, or similar short activities, but the ETA is not a visa or a work permit.
Australians who need to work in the UK still require the appropriate immigration route, even if they can obtain an ETA for short trips.
The UK framed the system as part of a broader digitisation of borders, shifting the way travellers prove their right to travel.
That includes a move to eVisas, with over 10 million issued as physical documents are replaced with digital records that can be checked electronically.
For frequent travellers, the combination of multiple-entry permission and a two-year window could reduce repeat applications, but the per-person £16 fee can add up quickly for families.
The rule that every traveller needs an ETA, including infants and children, means parents must complete separate applications rather than relying on a single group submission.
The app-based process also raises practical questions for families travelling together, such as ensuring each approval aligns with the correct passport before arriving at the airport.
Because carriers must confirm permission before boarding, errors that once surfaced at the UK border can now block travel at departure.
Dual citizens face a distinct set of instructions about what document they should use when heading to the UK.
Dual citizens can travel on a British passport instead of seeking an ETA.
Where relevant, they can also use a digital Certificate of Entitlement, which is issued from February 26, 2026 and valid indefinitely.
That option addresses travellers who rely on proof of right of abode or entitlement, while the UK pushes more status evidence into digital form.
For travellers using an ETA rather than a British passport, the UK stressed the need to travel with the same passport used for the application, because the authorisation sits behind that passport record.
Alongside the official pathway, the UK warned travellers to guard against scams and extra fees.
Applicants are directed to use the official GOV.UK site to avoid scam fees, because other sites may charge more.
The same GOV.UK pathway allows travellers to check status or expiry if they already have an ETA.
That check becomes important for those who hold long-validity passports, because the ETA itself has an endpoint of 2 years, and for anyone whose passport expiry could end the ETA sooner.
The UK also pointed travellers toward official help channels for problems with digital status.
For help, the system offers UKVI webchat, and the guidance specifies no phone support.
The focus on webchat reflects the broader direction of travel, as the UK moves border interactions and status questions toward online services and away from physical counters.
For Australian travellers, the immediate change is that preparation now starts earlier, even for short breaks.
Instead of arriving and being asked routine questions at the border, travellers must complete the ETA step in advance, keep the passport used in the application ready for travel, and expect airlines to verify permission before issuing boarding access.
Because most approvals come within minutes but some take up to 3 working days, travellers leaving applications to the last moment risk missing flights if manual checks apply.
With the UK now enforcing carrier checks from February 25, 2026, Australian passengers who turn up without an ETA or other approved permission can find their trip ending at the check-in desk rather than at the UK border.
UK Launches Electronic Travel Authorisation with £16 Fee for Australians
The UK has implemented a mandatory Electronic Travel Authorisation for Australians. As of February 2026, travelers must secure this digital permit before boarding. The £16 fee covers a two-year period or until passport expiry. Managed through an official app, the system automates suitability checks. This digitisation means border control effectively begins at the departure gate, as airlines must now confirm valid permissions electronically.
