Czech tourists and business travellers heading to the United Kingdom will soon need to complete an online application before they board the plane. On 25 February the British government confirmed that its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system is now being rolled out to EU nationals, with Czechs in the next wave. The ETA is a digital security clearance similar to the United States’ ESTA: applicants submit passport details, answer security questions and pay a GBP 10 fee; approval is normally issued within a few hours and is linked electronically to the passport.
For most short-stay purposes—including meetings, conferences, tourism and visiting friends and family—the ETA will replace the routine passport stamp on arrival. Czech citizens will still enjoy visa-free access, but airlines will have to verify the ETA or deny boarding. The UK Home Office recommends applying at least 72 hours before departure to avoid last-minute surprises at Prague, Brno or Ostrava airports.
If you are unsure about the new process, VisaHQ can take the guesswork out of it. Their Czech-language portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) lets travellers upload documents, track real-time progress and receive expert support, whether they need a simple ETA or a more complex UK work visa—saving time and avoiding costly mistakes.
Corporate mobility managers should update travel check-lists and booking tools now. Employees transiting the UK to North America or Asia will also need an ETA if they pass through the immigration zone. Early adopters report that the mobile-app process takes under ten minutes, but glitches have appeared when passports are close to expiry or contain diacritics in Czech names.
From a compliance perspective, the ETA does not change the underlying permitted-activities list; gainful employment, internships and long-term assignments will still require a skilled-worker or other work visa. However, Czech exporters who routinely send technicians for after-sales service trips must ensure those visits remain under 90 days in any 180-day period and that the work is classed as ‘permissible business activity’ under UK immigration rules.
Airlines and travel agencies operating in Czechia are planning awareness campaigns throughout March. Travellers who turn up at the airport without an approved ETA risk expensive same-day rebooking or outright trip cancellation—an unwelcome scenario as Britain’s conference season swings into full gear. The message from mobility advisers is clear: treat the UK like the US from now on—no authorisation, no boarding.
