UK ETA to be enforced from 25 February 2026

I don't think it's unclear. If you enter the UK and are transiting to someplace in Europe on a connecting flight, you generally won't need to go through passport control and therefore you don't need an ETA.

However if you're going outside of Europe from Heathrow or have a non-connecting ticket or have another situation that could cause you to have to go through immigration/passport control, then yes, you will need an ETA. And I'm pretty sure that's the way it was before.

Mardee - your final destination is irrelevant. If you are flying on one ticket from wherever to wherever and passing through either Heathrow or Manchester you can stay airside and will therefore not need an ETA. Use any other UK airport or fly on separate tickets or need to stay overnight in the UK and you will need an ETA. As an example many people fly from the US to Southern Africa via Heathrow - if they fly on one ticket they will not need an ETA.

Stuart’s point refers to the word “currently” - that suggests that things might change in the future.

John, I was pointing out that if you don't go through passport control at Heathrow or Manchester, then you don't need an ETA. Usually it's when you have a connecting flight from one place to another but there are exceptions. But if you don't go through passport control, then you don't need an ETA, because no one is checking your passport.

Stuart said, "It looks as if the temporary exemption to transit airside without an ETA may also be being withdrawn..."

That's what I'm talking about. I don't think it looks like it will be withdrawn, and I made my point because I didn't want to necessarily alarm other people by thinking that this is something that is going to happen. Just because it says transiting travelers do not currently need an ETA is no reason to assume that it is definitely going to change. Of course it might change in the future. There's a lot of things that could change in the future. Just about every law and regulation in place can change in the future. That doesn't mean it will. And it's a govt. press release. It's hedging its bets. 😊

If you're passing through Heathrow or Gatwick for any reason, and you're a belt and suspenders kind of traveler, just get the ETA so you have it if something comes up and you need (or want) to leave the airport and hang in the UK for a while. It's quick and relatively cheap.

Mardee - my point was that you were making a distinction between final destinations in and outside Europe when it doesn’t matter.

phred - if anyone is travelling through Gatwick they will need an ETA whatever their onward plans, as there is no airside transfer there. It’s only available in Heathrow or Manchester in the UK.

What this blog post indicates is that the ETA introductory period will come to an end on 25 Feb 2026. This has allowed people until that date to board with just an application for an ETA & people with dual nationality including British to enter on their non British passports.

There has also been a press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/no-permission-no-travel-uk-set-to-enforce-eta-scheme

From 25 February 2026 eligible visitors without an ETA will not be able to board their transport and cannot legally travel to the UK. ( From OP link)

My guess is that gate agents in the US won't let you board a flight to the UK, unless there is evidence of the ETA.
The verbiage implies there will be some method for the gate agents at foreign airports to discern if the passenger has a valid ETA..

Looks to me the easiest/simplest/surest thing to do is get an ETA if you are flying through a UK airport.

Arguing with a US ( or other non-UK) gate agent that "I'm transiting airside at LHR and don't need one" isn't likely to have a happy ending.

Having looked at several Gov.UK announcements and press releases, the wording relating to transit passengers really isn't clear.
On the one hand, it refers to "eligible passengers" not being able to board a flight to the UK without an ETA.
Then it says that passengers not passing through passport control "currently" do not need one. I would be suspicious of the use of the word "currently" as it suggests a change could happen.
In any case, I agree with Joe32f - you don't want an argument at the gate when you hope to board a flight.

Get an ETA.

Airlines will start having the possibility of being fined sometime after this date by up to £50k per passenger flown to the UK without an ETA, e-visa, or being exempt. So they will be cautious. Self-connectors will be the most obviously affected by this.

My guess is that gate agents in the US won't let you board a flight to the UK, unless there is evidence of the ETA.

That's not how it works since there is no ETA to show a gate agent.

What happens is the flight manifest is sent to the UK government prior to boarding. Everything is run through the computer to make sure the people boarding are okay to board--have an ETA, don't have any exclusion orders, etc.

This is also done for all flights to the US.

I was surprised and bit disappointed when I didn't receive any kind of "card" or certificate to show that my ETA had processed. Just a casual oh don't worry you're on the list now.

Arrived at Gatwick yesterday and the connecting flights route was closed. Everybody had to go through immigration whether they were staying in London or connecting to someplace else. The flight crew made announcements before everyone disembarked.

So ensure you have an ETA if passing through, even though it’s not yet February.

Arrived at Gatwick yesterday and the connecting flights route was closed. Everybody had to go through immigration whether they were staying in London or connecting to someplace else

Were there separate lines for 'with' and 'without' the ETA?

No. The only separation was those who could use the e-gates and those who couldn’t. Our flight arrived at about 7am and there was virtually no line to pass through the e-gates. It was so mush less hectic than Heathrow.

I didn’t see any signs for people without an ETA, but there were some people with connections and some who probably hadn’t planned on the connections route being closed.

As mentioned already above, there is no airside connection facility at Gatwick. Everyone on arrival must go through immigration and will therefore need an ETA, no matter where their final destination is.

There will be no separate queue for those without an ETA as they will not have been allowed on to their plane.

The only UK airports with an airside connection facility are Heathrow and Manchester.

We visited the UK in August 2025 and had to have the ETA.

I was surprised and bit disappointed when I didn't receive any kind of "card" or certificate to show that my ETA had processed. Just a casual oh don't worry you're on the list now.

We downloaded the approval emails that we received and carry a copy with us.

Even though we were just transiting LHR a few months ago, we decided to have for the 'just in case issue" that could arise.

My guess is that gate agents in the US won't let you board a flight to
the UK, unless there is evidence of the ETA.

That's not how it works since there is no ETA to show a gate agent.

2 weeks ago, the gate agent in Winnipeg, Manitoba asked my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and mother-in-law for proof of ETA for their flight to Calgary for their connection to London. They had to show the approval emails. If they had been connecting through Heathrow for somewhere else, I'm pretty sure a gate agent in another country wasn't going to care about airside or not in London.

2 weeks ago, the gate agent in Winnipeg, Manitoba asked my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and mother-in-law for proof of ETA for their flight to Calgary

well that's a bit mad - they were flying from Winnipeg to Calgary, there's no reason to ask about an ETA for an internal Canadian flight. Once in Calgary, they could be asked about the ETA - even then, there's no requirement to prove that you have it. It will show up in the passenger details of the airline.

It seems logical to me. If they did not have an ETA they would not (or definitely will not from next February) be allowed on the plane to the UK from Calgary. It makes more sense to me for passengers to be told that from their point of origin, rather than when they have already flown away from home.

Having said that they should not need to provide any proof of an ETA, as that information will be held on their passport anyway.