UK fines for no ETA start for carriers 20 March 2026

Here’s the update you’ll see at check‑in desks next month. The Home Office has signed the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (Commencement No. 9) Regulations 2026, which start section 76-liability of carriers-on Friday 20 March 2026 across the UK. In practice, if an airline, ferry operator or Eurostar carries someone who needs an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) but doesn’t have one, they can be fined. This sits alongside the ‘no permission, no travel’ rule now being enforced at departure points. (legislation.gov.uk)

Two dates to keep straight. From 25 February 2026, the Government moved to full enforcement of digital permission to travel: carriers must check you hold an ETA, eVisa or other acceptable proof before you board. From 20 March 2026, section 76 completes the picture by extending the existing carriers’ liability regime so penalties also cover passengers without a required ETA. The ministerial written statement to Parliament confirms there will be no extra grace periods as this shift beds in. (gov.uk)

What an ETA actually is. An ETA is a short form, digital permission to travel that’s linked to your passport. It costs £16, usually arrives by email within a day, and the Home Office asks you to allow up to three working days just in case. Once granted, it lasts for two years or until your passport expires. You can apply on the UK ETA app or online and then use the official service to check your ETA and its expiry before you fly. (gov.uk)

Who needs one and who does not. If you’re a visitor from one of around 85 visa‑free countries, including EU member states and the United States, you’re now expected to hold an ETA before travelling to the UK. British and Irish citizens do not need an ETA, and people who already hold UK immigration permission, like a visa or settled status, don’t need one either. Dual British citizens cannot get an ETA and should use a British passport or other accepted proof of right of abode. (gov.uk)

What ‘carriers’ liability’ means in plain English. Long‑standing rules under section 40 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 let the Home Office charge transport operators when they bring an ‘inadequately documented arrival’. The published guidance currently sets that charge at £2,000 per passenger. By commencing section 76 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, the same liability will apply when a person arrives without a required ETA. For carriers and check‑in agents, the financial incentive to verify permission to travel is now explicit. (gov.uk)

Fairness built into the law. The legislation also recognises that systems can fail. Section 76 provides a statutory excuse so a penalty shouldn’t be imposed where, through no fault of the carrier, it wasn’t possible to check a passenger’s ETA or other permission-for example if a digital status couldn’t be read at the time. That said, operators are expected to have workable processes and to use Home Office channels to confirm status where needed. (legislation.gov.uk)

A note for British dual nationals. You don’t need-and can’t get-an ETA. From 25 February 2026, the Home Office says you should travel on a valid UK passport or with a certificate of entitlement showing your right of abode. It has also introduced a digital certificate of entitlement, and issued temporary guidance allowing carriers, at their discretion, to accept certain expired UK passports alongside a current foreign passport while systems settle. (hansard.parliament.uk)

What this means when you’re planning a trip. Before you book or at least three working days before you travel, apply for your ETA and make sure the passport you will use is the one linked to your approval. If you have an eVisa, check that your passport is correctly recorded in your UKVI account so automated checks work at the gate. Carriers have been told to refuse boarding if digital permission isn’t in place. (gov.uk)

An explainer for your classroom or seminar. An Act creates powers; secondary legislation like ‘commencement regulations’ turns specific sections on at set times; separate Immigration Rules and guidance tell you how policy will run day‑to‑day. That’s why you’ll see different dates: Royal Assent in April 2022, full ETA enforcement on 25 February 2026, and carrier penalties for missing ETAs from 20 March 2026 once section 76 is commenced. The official explanatory notes to the 2022 Act flag this staged approach. (legislation.gov.uk)