- Confused.com data shows 2,836 holidaymakers refused entry at US and Australian borders from 2023 to 2025.
- In 2025 alone, 1,607 British travellers were turned away, with the US accounting for most cases.
- Border checks included visas, passport validity, onward travel, and funds, while Europe’s ETIAS and EES rules also tighten travel.
Confused.com data showed more than UK 2,800 holidaymakers refused entry at the US and Australian borders between 2023 and 2025. The total reached 2,836. In 2025, 1,607 British travellers were turned away. That topped the 1,229 recorded in 2023 and 2024 combined.
The refusals were tied to entry-rule checks. Those checks can include visa or authorisation requirements, passport validity, proof of onward travel and evidence of sufficient funds. Paperwork mattered.
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The material names no government official, minister or border-authority spokesperson. It includes no official reaction. The figures come from data obtained by Confused.com.
The US supplied most of the 2025 refusals
A breakdown shows the US supplied most of the 2025 refusals, while Australia's cases were linked to travel-document problems over the three-year period. The split was uneven. More detail sits in the table below.
| Category | Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 and 2024 combined | 1,229 | Refusals across both years together |
| 2025 alone | 1,607 | The highest single-year total |
| Three-year total | 2,836 | Refusals across the US and Australia |
| US in 2025 | 1,451 | Refusals in one report cited in the coverage |
| Australia, 2023 to 2025 | More than 300 | Linked to travel-document problems |
Europe’s ETIAS and EES checks sit in the same squeeze
The coverage also points to Europe’s ETIAS and EES rollouts. Those systems can affect British holidaymakers’ ability to enter visa-free destinations. The rules are shifting.
China’s temporary visa-free policy runs until the end of 2026. Sri Lanka has removed ETA visa fees. Those are separate moves, but they sit in the same wider travel picture.
