British Embassy in Bucharest: From Wednesday, citizens from 85 countries must hold ETA to travel to UK

The British Embassy in Bucharest brings to mind that, as of 25 February, citizens of 85 countries, including the US, Canada and France, who do not require a visa to enter the United Kingdom, must hold an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) prior to travelling to the UK."This is an important stage of the digitalisation of the immigration system and paves the way for the future contactless border system of the United Kingdom. Since September 2025, 19.6 million ETAs have been issued," according to a British Embassy in Bucharest release sent on Wednesday.According to the quoted source, visitors to the UK need an ETA if they do not require a visa for short-term stays of up to six months or do not already hold an immigration status in the UK. These requirements mean that carriers, such as airlines, will from now on refuse boarding to eligible visitors who do not hold an ETA.British citizens with dual citizenship must present either a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement when travelling to the UK. This is a requirement for all British citizens, regardless of their other nationality and is the same approach adopted by other countries, including the US, Australia and Canada, the quoted source said.As part of ongoing service improvements, from 26 February certificates of entitlement will be issued in a digital format. This means the certificate only needs to be requested once, rather than expiring with the passport.ETAs are also mandatory for visitors arriving in the United Kingdom to catch connecting flights and are subject to border control.Applying for an ETA via the UK ETA app is quick and straightforward and, currently, the vast majority of applicants receive an automatic decision within minutes, meaning spontaneous travel to the United Kingdom is still possible, the release mentioned.However, visitors are advised to allow up to three working days before their planned travel date to receive the decision, to allow for the small number of cases which require a more detailed assessment.Applicants must provide their biographical and biometric data and answer a few questions regarding eligibility and criminal record. Once the application is approved, the ETA is digitally linked to the applicant's passport.