The UK Home Office confirmed that from 25 February 2026 every visa-exempt visitor – including Italian citizens – must secure an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before boarding transport to the United Kingdom. Airlines, ferry operators and Eurostar will deny boarding to anyone without the £16 digital permit, which is valid for two years or until passport expiry. (gov.uk)
Applications take minutes via a mobile app, but the Home Office advises applying at least three working days in advance in case of additional security checks. British and Irish passport-holders, as well as those with existing UK immigration status, are exempt.
![Countdown to UK ETA Enforcement: Italian Travellers Need Digital Permission from 25 February]()
For Italian corporates the change means new pre-trip compliance steps for staff attending meetings, trade fairs or rotational assignments in London. Mobility managers should update travel policies, ensure that duty-of-care platforms track ETA status and brief dual nationals to carry the correct passport.
The ETA aligns the UK with travel-authorisation models such as the US ESTA and Canada’s eTA, and precedes the EU’s own ETIAS system due to launch in 2026. Failure to obtain an ETA may invalidate business-travel insurance and could trigger carrier fines.
Applications take minutes via a mobile app, but the Home Office advises applying at least three working days in advance in case of additional security checks. British and Irish passport-holders, as well as those with existing UK immigration status, are exempt.
For Italian corporates the change means new pre-trip compliance steps for staff attending meetings, trade fairs or rotational assignments in London. Mobility managers should update travel policies, ensure that duty-of-care platforms track ETA status and brief dual nationals to carry the correct passport.
The ETA aligns the UK with travel-authorisation models such as the US ESTA and Canada’s eTA, and precedes the EU’s own ETIAS system due to launch in 2026. Failure to obtain an ETA may invalidate business-travel insurance and could trigger carrier fines.
Source: UK Home Office
