Garth Coates Solicitors Advises Visitors and Business Travellers to Check UK ETA Rules Before Travel

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, May 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Garth Coates Solicitors has published a new immigration update advising visitors, families and business travellers to check whether they need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation, commonly known as an ETA, before travelling to the United Kingdom.

The article explains that the ETA scheme is now a major part of the UK’s digital border system. An ETA is digital permission to travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family, business visits, short-term study and certain other permitted purposes. It is not a visa, and it does not guarantee entry at the UK border. GOV.UK confirms that an ETA currently costs £20 and is used for visits of up to six months.

The UK Home Office — the government department responsible for immigration, visas and border control — announced that from 25 February 2026, non-visa nationals who try to enter the UK without an ETA may be barred from travelling, with airlines preventing passengers from boarding where they do not have an ETA, eVisa or other valid documentation.

“Visa-free travel to the UK no longer means travelling without advance checks,” said Garth Coates Solicitors. “Many visitors who previously travelled with only a passport must now obtain digital permission before departure. Families, business travellers and transit passengers should check the ETA rules before booking or travelling.”

The firm says the ETA requirement is especially important for travellers from countries that have traditionally enjoyed visa-free short visits to the UK, including the United States, Canada, European countries and other non-visa nationalities. The UK Government previously confirmed that visitors from 85 nationalities, including the United States, Canada and France, would be covered by the enforcement of the ETA scheme.

Garth Coates Solicitors warns that the ETA requirement can easily be overlooked by families. Each traveller must have their own ETA unless exempt, including children and babies. This means a parent may obtain their own ETA but still face travel disruption if a child’s permission has not been secured.

The firm also highlights the impact on business visitors. Many international business travellers previously assumed they could arrive in the UK with a passport and explain their visit at the border. Under the ETA framework, eligible visa-exempt business visitors may need digital permission before travel, and they must still ensure their planned activities are permitted under the UK visitor rules.

“An ETA is not permission to work in the UK,” Garth Coates Solicitors added. “Business travellers should check whether their meetings, negotiations, conferences or site visits fall within the visitor rules. Where the real purpose of travel is employment, paid work or longer-term business activity, a different visa route may be required.”

The Home Office’s April 2026 ETA factsheet states that an ETA permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years, or until the holder’s passport expires, whichever is sooner.

The firm says travellers should also be careful where there is previous immigration history. A person with a past UK visa refusal, overstay, removal decision, criminality issue, identity concern or previous breach of immigration conditions should consider taking advice before travel. If an ETA is refused, the person may need to apply for a visitor visa instead and should not attempt to travel without resolving the issue.

Garth Coates Solicitors says the key message is simple: check the rules before travelling. A missing or refused ETA can disrupt flights, family visits, business meetings, conferences, urgent travel and transit plans.

M T ULAY
Garth Coates
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