European executives must apply for Electronic Travel Document to continue coming to the UK

Vanesha Kistoo, Head of the Blick Rothenberg French desk, said:

As a consequence of Brexit, Europeans who have a global role and regularly come to the UK on business trips will have to deal with the extra administrative burden of applying for an Electronic Travel Document.

One of my biggest French clients is already planning what do to for a senior executive who comes to the UK to spend time with local teams. Currently French companies seek to understand what is required and what planning is needed to prepare for this change. For example, the change in immigration rules may mean that my client will have to explore other options, e.g. review and modify roles, recruit and train locally in the UK.

However, French businesses do welcome the fact that the 2 April 2025 deadline gives them time to sort out all these decisions and make plans before they must tackle either applying for an ETA or looking at more localised operations.

One thing all European businesses must keep in mind that it not possible to do paid work for a UK company under an ETA. Those with a dual contract arrangement, i.e. a UK employment contract and a non-UK employment contract will find they cannot come to the UK under an ETA. They will need to consult with an immigration expert if they wish to work in the UK.

Another is that Europeans who were granted settled status under the EU Settlement should not assume that they will be able to continue to travel to the UK if they have not lived in Britain for several years. They should consider whether they are at risk of losing their status and seek immigration advice if they would like to retain their settled status.

As of now, 83 countries will need an ETA to visit the UK, this will likely increase over time, so all businesses, European or not, should seek to understand ETA rules and requirements to ensure they are prepared for the 2 April 2025 deadline.

Would you like to know more?

If you would like to discuss any of the above, please speak to your usual Blick Rothenberg contact or Vanesha Kistoo using the form below.