Travel agents and border officials report continued confusion around the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) nearly four months after enforcement became mandatory on 25 February 2026. Speaking to TravelPulse Canada on 11 June, iVisa’s director of customer experience said “a surprising number” of Canadian, U.S. and Australian nationals are still arriving at airports without an approved ETA, leading to missed flights and re-booking costs. The problem is not limited to North America; Heathrow Border Force officers told industry newsletter Airline Matters that daily refused-boarding incidents average “in the low hundreds” across all carriers. Airlines remain liable for fines of up to £10,000 per inadmissible passenger under Schedule 11 of the Immigration Act 2024. In response, major carriers have updated online check-in portals to require an ETA reference before issuing boarding passes, but codeshare partners and GDS systems lag behind. The UK government has stepped up social-media advertising and added French and Spanish translations to the ETA app, yet travel management companies say corporate road-warriors on multi-country itineraries remain vulnerable to falling between the cracks. For businesses sending visa-exempt staff to the UK, best practice now includes booking flights at least 72 hours after submitting ETA applications and capturing the authorisation number in traveller profiles. Global-mobility teams should also brief dual nationals on the risk of travelling on a non-British passport without proof of citizenship, an issue highlighted in recent Home Office guidance. Officials indicate that refusal numbers will be published in the next quarterly immigration statistics due in August.
Source: TravelPulse Canada
