United Kingdom: Full ETA Enforcement Requires Proof of Exemption

As the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme moves to full enforcement from February 25, 2026, British and Irish dual citizens traveling to the United Kingdom are advised to carry evidence of such citizenship (including Certificate of Entitlement to the right of residence) to prove their exemption from the scheme. Failing to do so may result in delays or decisions by airlines to refuse boarding.

Practically, this means dual national British/Irish citizens will no longer be able to travel to the United Kingdom on their non-British/non-Irish passport (whichever they have) since from February 26, 2026, they will need to prove their exemption from the ETA scheme by showing evidence of UK citizenship (such as their British passport or Certificate of Entitlement to the right of residence), or proof of Irish citizenship (whichever applies). This means those with expired passports seeking to travel to the United Kingdom should make sure they renew their UK/Irish passports in time for travel proposed after February 26, 2026.

For more information, see this Fragomen blog.  

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.