February 25 is six days away. If you have a UK trip booked after that date (or a connection through Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester) and you haven’t applied for a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation yet, stop reading and go apply. Then come back.

This isn’t a soft launch. Airlines are required to verify ETA status at check-in starting February 25. No ETA, no boarding. That’s the enforcement point: departure, not arrival. You won’t get a chance to sort it out at the border because you won’t get to the border.

The Short Version

Detail	What You Need to Know
Enforcement date	February 25, 2026
Who needs it	All US passport holders (and 84 other nationalities)
Cost	£16 (~$20 USD)
Validity	2 years, multiple entries, up to 6 months per stay
Apply via	UK ETA app (iOS/Android) or GOV.UK
Approval time	Usually minutes; allow up to 3 business days
Transit	Yes: layovers through UK airports require an ETA too

Apply here: GOV.UK ETA application

Why This Deadline Is Different From the Usual “Apply Before You Travel” Advice

Most entry documentation gets checked at the border. This one gets checked before you board.

The UK ETA system works the same way as ESTA does for visitors to the US. Airlines are required to verify authorisation status during check-in. If the system shows no valid ETA linked to your passport, you don’t get a boarding pass. The airline turns you away at the gate.

This catches people who assume they’ll deal with paperwork when they land, or who think a quick chat with a border officer can sort it out. There’s no chat. There’s no border officer in this scenario. You’re at an airport in the US or wherever you’re departing from, and the check-in desk tells you you can’t board.

Apply now.

Who Is Affected

US citizens are among the 85 nationalities now required to have an ETA. Previously, US passport holders entered the UK with just a passport. No visa, no pre-travel authorisation. That changed.

The requirement covers every purpose of entry:

• Tourism and leisure
• Business visits (meetings, conferences, not employment)
• Short courses under 6 months
• Family visits
• Transit through UK airports, including connections where you never leave the terminal

The transit clause trips people up. If your flight to Paris, Dubai, Nairobi, or anywhere else routes through London, you need an ETA before you board the first leg. The airline scans for it when you check in for the originating flight.

Already have a valid UK visa? You don’t need an ETA. The ETA is specifically for travelers who previously entered without any documentation.

Spring Break Travel Is at Risk

The timing of this enforcement date matters. February 25 lands right as spring break season starts for US universities and families.

London is a popular spring break destination. So is a Heathrow connection to Europe. Students with trips booked in March who haven’t heard about the ETA requirement are going to find out about it the hard way at check-in. Unless they apply now.

If you’re a parent, student, teacher, or anyone with a March or April UK trip, or a European trip routing through London: apply for the ETA before February 25. If your trip is already after the 25th and you haven’t applied, apply today. The process takes 10 minutes. Procrastinating costs you the trip.

How to Apply: The Actual Steps

Option 1: UK ETA App (faster)

Download the UK ETA app. It’s free, official, available on iOS and Android. Open it and walk through:

1. Enter your personal details (name, date of birth, nationality)
2. Scan your US passport (the app reads the chip or the photo page)
3. Take a selfie (biometric verification)
4. Answer the eligibility questions (standard stuff: criminal history, visa refusals)
5. Pay £16 by card or PayPal
6. Wait for confirmation

Most applications get automatic approval within minutes. The UK government says to allow up to 3 business days for cases that go to manual review, but routine US applications generally process fast.

Option 2: GOV.UK in a browser

Same process, same fee, same outcome. The app is marginally faster because the camera integration for the passport scan and selfie is smoother. But if you’re on a desktop, the browser version works fine.

What you need:

• A valid US passport (valid through your travel dates, ideally with 6+ months remaining)
• The ability to take a passport photo scan and a selfie
• £16 (credit card, debit card, or PayPal)

One ETA Per Passport. No Exceptions.

Each traveler applies separately. Traveling with your spouse: two applications. Traveling with your kids: each child needs their own ETA, regardless of age. There’s no group application.

The ETA links to your specific passport number. If you renew your passport before your trip, your old ETA is void and you need to apply again for the new passport. Same thing if you change your legal name and get a new passport.

Check the passport you’re traveling with. Verify the ETA is linked to that exact document.

What Happens If Approval Takes Longer Than Expected

Automated approval usually comes through in minutes. But some applications get flagged for manual review. This is more common if you’ve had previous UK visa issues, certain criminal history items, or discrepancies in your application data.

If you see a “pending review” status:

• Allow up to 3 business days before contacting UK Visas and Immigration
• Don’t book travel assuming approval is coming until you have confirmation
• Contact UK Visas and Immigration through GOV.UK if you’re still pending after 3 business days with travel imminent

If you’re applying today, February 19, and your trip is after February 25, you have time. If you’re reading this two days before a UK flight and you’re in pending review, contact the UK government immediately and explain your travel dates.

Don’t cut it this close. The application takes 10 minutes and costs £16. Apply now.

The Third-Party Site Problem

Search “UK ETA apply” and you’ll see ads and sites offering to handle the application for you, for fees ranging from $30 to $100 or more.

These are not necessary. The official application through GOV.UK or the UK ETA app costs exactly £16. Third-party services add a markup for doing nothing you can’t do yourself in the same 10 minutes.

Some of these sites are legitimate (if overpriced) application services. Some are scams that take your money and never submit anything. None of them are necessary.

Apply directly: GOV.UK or the UK ETA app. That’s it.

The 2-Year Validity Math

£16 for 2 years of unlimited UK visits. Each visit can be up to 6 months. You apply once and you’re covered through early 2028, assuming your passport stays valid.

If you travel to the UK more than once in the next two years, or think you might, this is a reasonable expense. The per-trip cost drops fast.

The ETA expires when your passport expires, whichever comes first. So if your passport has 18 months left, your ETA effectively has 18 months left even though the authorisation period is technically 2 years.

Connecting Through London: Read This Carefully

A lot of US travelers who aren’t going to the UK are still affected by this requirement.

If your routing looks like: New York → London Heathrow → [destination in Europe, Africa, Middle East], you need an ETA even if London is just a connection and you never leave the terminal.

The airline checks your ETA status at check-in for the originating leg (New York in this example). If there’s no valid ETA linked to your passport, you don’t board. You miss your connection and your final destination.

Check your itinerary. If any segment involves a UK airport, you need the ETA. This includes Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, and other UK airports used as international connection hubs.

What the ETA Doesn’t Allow

The ETA covers short visits only. It doesn’t permit:

• Working in the UK (employment or providing services to UK clients)
• Study programs longer than 6 months
• Long-term residence
• Accessing public funds

The “working while traveling” question is genuinely gray. Remote work for a non-UK employer during a tourism trip has been tolerated in practice, but UK immigration law doesn’t have a clean “digital nomad visa” yet. If you’re planning extended remote work stints in the UK, read the current GOV.UK guidance on business visitor activities carefully before assuming the ETA covers you.

For straightforward tourism, business meetings, family visits, and transit: the ETA is what you need.

The Action Checklist

If you have a UK trip or a London connection after February 25:

• Download the UK ETA app or open GOV.UK on your browser
• Have your US passport ready (the one you’re traveling with)
• Apply and pay the £16 fee
• Check your confirmation (look for approved status in the app or via email)
• Verify the ETA is linked to the correct passport number
• If traveling with family, confirm each person has their own approved ETA
• If your trip routes through any UK airport, confirm your ETA is in place before your first departure leg

The application takes 10 minutes. Approval is usually immediate. There is no reason to wait.

For more background on what the ETA covers and how the UK system compares to ESTA and the EU ETIAS, see our full UK ETA guide for US travelers.

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ETA requirements are based on official UK government guidance current as of February 2026. Entry requirements change; verify current requirements at GOV.UK before travel.