New Travel Rules Affecting Overseas Staff, International Visitors and Business Partners Visiting the UK – Updated July 2025

Overview of the ETA Scheme

The ETA Scheme was launched in October 2023 and enables nationals of certain countries to visit the UK without the need for a formal entry clearance (visa). Initially, only nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could apply for an ETA.

Jordanian nationals could previously apply but were removed from the list on 10 September 2024. Trinidad and Tobago nationals were also removed from the list on 12 March 2025. They must now obtain an Entry Clearance visa from a relevant British Consulate post outside the UK, including for short visits and transits. To obtain an entry clearance visa, applicants must complete an online application form, submit supporting documents, pay a visa fee and provide biometric information at a Visa application centre. They cannot travel to the UK until their Visitor visa has been granted.

Since 8 January and 2 April 2025, respectively, the ETA Scheme has been extended to all nationalities who could previously travel to the UK without a visa (i.e. permit free non-visa nationals).They will now need to obtain an ETA if they wish to travel here.

To explain, non-visa nationals, including USA, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and European Economic Area (EEA) [1] nationals could simply travel to the UK, permit free, and obtain a visitor stamp in their passport by UK immigration control on arrival. The ETA Scheme has now been extended to EEA nationals as well so that they are required to obtain an ETA before travelling to the UK.

Until 31 December 2020, EEA nationals were free to enter, live and work in the UK without first obtaining a visa. From 1 January 2021, EEA and Swiss nationals can continue to travel to the UK to do business activities allowed by a Visitor visa (as explained below). If they wish to live and work in the UK on a long-term basis, they must apply for a work visa. Since 2 April 2025, EEA and Swiss nationals have had to apply for an ETA to enable them to continue to visit the UK as a Visitor.

British Citizens and Irish Citizens are exempt from the ETA Scheme.

Since 9 April 2025, British National (Overseas) or British Overseas Territory Citizens passport holders have become exempt from the requirement to obtain an ETA to enter the UK, and can enjoy visa free access to the UK for a short visit of up to 6 months. The full list of nationalities affected by the new ETA process can be found here.

‘Visa (Entry Clearance) nationals’, as set out in the Immigrations Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list (such as nationals from China, Russia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Turkey and India) must continue to obtain a Visitor Entry Clearance (visa) from a British diplomatic post before travelling to the UK. Jordan was added to this list on 10 September 2024. Trinidad and Tobago nationals were added to the list on 23 April 2025.

Extension of the ETA Scheme: important dates

Since 8 January 2025, all ‘non-visa’ nationals, other than EU nationals, will need an ETA to travel to the UK. This includes nationals of Australia, USA, Canada and Japan. They must now apply for an ETA prior to travelling to the UK.

From 2 April 2025, all EEA nationals will need an ETA to travel to the UK. They have been able to apply for an ETA since 5 March 2025. 

Effective 16 July 2025, ETA’s are needed for some individuals who are entering the UK from Ireland by crossing the land border (if they entered the Republic of Ireland ‘from a place outside the common travel area, or having left the UK whilst having a limited leave to enter or remain there which has since expired, and who is not a S2 Healthcare Visitor’).

Who does not need an ETA

Anyone with a visa; or valid permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme); or a British or Irish passport; or a British overseas territories citizen passport or British National (Overseas) passport; or a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship; or who is free from immigration control and who does not need permission to enter the UK, will NOT need an ETA.

In addition, a non-visa national who is lawfully resident in the Republic of Ireland and is travelling to the UK from elsewhere in the Common Travel Area does not need to obtain an ETA. However, they must demonstrate lawful residence in Ireland such as with a valid, original Permanent Residence Certificate, or European Health Insurance Card, or Irish driving licence (this list is not exhaustive), issued by the Ireland authorities to enter the UK.

Since 2 April 2025, ETA children, aged 18 or under, travelling to the UK on a France-UK school trip, studying at a school or educational institution in France registered with the French Ministry of Education and seeking to enter the UK as part of a school party of 5 or more pupils organised by that school or institution, do NOT require an ETA before they travel to the UK as a Visitor.

What activities are permitted under the ETA scheme?

ETA travellers will be limited to the following activities:

• Coming to the UK for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study;
• Coming to the UK for up to three months on the Creative Worker visa concession; or
• Coming to the UK for a permitted paid engagement.

If an ETA applicant’s activities fall outside of these, they will usually need to obtain the proper permission to work in the UK under the Points Based System (by obtaining a work visa).

What activities are NOT permitted under the ETA scheme?

• Staying in the UK for longer than 6 months
• Doing paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless it is a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession
• Claiming public funds (i.e. government benefits)
• Living in the UK through frequent or successive visits
• Marrying or registering a civil partnership, or giving notice of a marriage or civil partnership (as this requires a Marriage Visitor visa)

How to apply

ETA applications have to be made online with a fee of £16, per applicant. There is no minimum age limit, so ALL children under 18 must apply for an ETA.

The ETA is valid for multiple journeys, and for up to two years. ETAs are linked to an applicant’s valid passport and are issued electronically. So, the applicant must remember to obtain a new ETA if they obtain a new passport during the two year validity period of their ETA.

Can an ETA be refused?

Applicants who have been previously refused a visit visa (or permission to enter as a visitor) will be refused an ETA - unless a visit visa was subsequently granted after the refusal.

An ETA can be refused on criminality grounds such as where someone has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas for which they have received a custodial sentence of 12 months. ETA’s can also be refused on suitability grounds which can include previously breaching immigration law (such as overstaying a visa, breaching conditions of a previous visa or using deception in a previous visa application).

An application for an ETA must be refused where the applicant’s presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good because of their conduct, character, associations or other reasons (including convictions which do not fall within the criminality grounds). It must also be refused where false representations or false information was submitted or relevant facts were not disclosed.

If an ETA is refused, the individual will need to apply for an Entry Clearance visitor visa in advance of travel at a relevant British Consulate post outside the UK, prior to coming to the UK.

Implications for employers

Employers/HR/the business will need to bear in mind this extra procedural step when making plans for their non-visa national workers/International Staff/Overseas Visitors/Business Partners to visit the UK for business, such as attending meetings/conferences/training/signing off contracts etc.

ETA applications can potentially take up to three working days to be processed (occasionally longer), and there is no appeal mechanism if an application is refused; the only option is to file a new ETA application (if eligible) or submit a separate entry clearance (visa) application under another immigration category, which will delay the overseas employee’s travel to the UK.

Employers/HR/the business should update communications and guidance for any International Staff/Overseas Visitors/Business Partners to ensure that those nationals who did not previously need a visa to visit the UK on business for up to 6 months are made aware they must now travel to the UK with an ETA from either 8 January 2025 or 2 April 2025 respectively. Once the ETA visa has been granted, it is sensible for the business to have a system in place to diarise the expiry dates (at least 3 months before the end date) so that it can manage the ETA visa renewals in time; and to ensure that any staff on its UK premises have valid immigration permission to be in the UK.

As mentioned above, the ETA is valid for multiple journeys and for up to two years or until the expiry of an applicant’s passport. Again, we recommend employers/HR/the business have a system in place for your overseas staff to let you know if they obtain a new passport so that a fresh ETA visa can be applied for accordingly.

[1] Austria, Finland, Latvia, Portugal, Belgium, France, Liechtenstein, Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia, Croatia, Greece, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, Spain, Czech Republic, Iceland, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland (although note that slightly different rules apply to Irish nationals), Norway, Switzerland, Estonia, Italy and Poland.