Isle of Man extends ETA powers; launch late 2025
If you’re planning a trip to the Isle of Man, there’s a new rulebook being readied in the background. An Order made on 15 October 2025 sets up the island’s ability to use Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs). Nothing changes for travellers today, but the framework is now in place so the Isle of Man can switch ETAs on once it sets a start date.
In simple terms, the Order brings across UK provisions from the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 so the Isle of Man can run its own ETA scheme and, when live, ask carriers to check people have permission to travel. Ministers on the island have indicated the scheme is due to begin in late 2025, so this is the legal groundwork for that timetable.
What is an ETA? It’s a digital permission you apply for before travel if you come from a country that usually visits without a visa. An ETA links to your passport, lasts for up to two years or until your passport expires, and lets you make multiple trips of up to six months at a time. It’s not a visa, and if you already hold a visa or permission to live, work or study, you won’t need one.
Who never needs an ETA? British and Irish citizens keep their free movement under the Common Travel Area. Also, people who are lawfully resident in Ireland and travelling within the Common Travel Area don’t need an ETA; they may, however, be asked to show physical proof of Irish residence. These points are spelled out in Home Office guidance.
What about the everyday hop from Manchester or Liverpool to the Isle of Man? The UK does not run routine immigration controls on Common Travel Area routes, and each Crown Dependency (Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) is setting up its own ETA scheme on its own timetable. Until the Isle of Man formally “commences” its scheme, domestic flights and ferries within the Area should continue as they do now.
Quick check on Europe-bound travellers: since 2 April 2025, European visitors to the UK have needed a UK ETA, with the fee rising from £10 to £16 on 9 April. That UK change helps explain why tour operators now plan around authorisations, especially for trips that cross borders mid‑itinerary. The Isle of Man’s ETA will be separate and will start later.
For direct trips to the Crown Dependencies, officials have been clear that ETAs won’t be required until at least autumn 2025. That includes day trips and school groups heading straight to one of the islands, with more detail promised ahead of launch.
How will it work when the Isle of Man goes live? Expect an online or app process much like the UK’s: you’ll apply using the passport you’ll travel with, get a decision (often quickly), and then use that passport for boarding and arrival. For teachers planning exchanges, note that the UK already has limited exemptions for certain French school groups; we’ll need to see whether the Isle of Man mirrors that detail in its own rules.
Costs to budget for: the UK ETA currently costs £16. Earlier this year, the Isle of Man’s Treasury Minister suggested a £10 fee for the Manx scheme, but the island will confirm its final price when it publishes the start date. Build in a small contingency if you’re pricing a trip for later this academic year.
Will airlines and ferry firms check? Yes-once ETAs apply to the Isle of Man, transport companies will be expected to verify authorisations before boarding, as they already do for UK routes under the “liability of carriers” rules. That’s designed to prevent people travelling without the right permission.
What it means if you live in Ireland: if you’re lawfully resident there and travelling wholly within the Common Travel Area (for example, Dublin to the Isle of Man via the UK, or direct by sea), current guidance says you do not need an ETA-but do carry physical proof of your Irish residence just in case.
If you teach citizenship or travel and tourism, this is a practical case study in how the Common Travel Area works. The key learning point is that the Isle of Man will run a legally distinct ETA from the UK’s, even though the systems are coordinated. For now, keep an eye on official updates and remind student travellers to use the same passport they applied with once the Manx scheme opens.