LONDON – With five days to go before the United Kingdom makes its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) compulsory for visa-exempt visitors, the Italian Embassy in London has issued a final reminder to Italian nationals and EU residents planning travel after 25 February. Since April 2025 Italians could apply for the £18 permit on a voluntary basis, but UK border officers will now deny boarding to travellers who are not in possession of an approved ETA or an alternative long-stay visa. Airlines and ferry operators have updated check-in systems to flag passengers lacking a valid authorisation, and several low-cost carriers warn that day-trip customers risk being off-loaded at the gate. Business-travel managers should verify that short-notice assignees and conference delegates have downloaded the official “UK ETA” app or used the gov.uk portal; processing is usually instant but can take up to 72 hours if additional security checks are triggered. The permit is valid for two years and multiple entries, but it does not override the UK’s separate work-authorisation rules – paid activities still require a visa or frontier-worker permit. Italian passport holders who travel frequently for meetings should consider applying now to avoid the surge expected over the weekend. Those with upcoming assignments should also review whether time in the UK counts toward the country’s tax-residence thresholds, as digital entry data will be available to HM Revenue & Customs.
Source: Embassy of Italy in London
