UK: Lawmakers Call for ETA Exemption for Tourists Visiting Northern Ireland

On October 22, 2026, the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee issued a statement calling on the government to exempt customers of licensed tour operators from the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) requirement. The request is part of a letter to the British government containing proposals to support the tourism and hospitality sectors in Northern Ireland.

The background to this is Northern Ireland’s unique geographic and political situation: it is part of the United Kingdom but shares an open land border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state. As a result, travelers arriving in Dublin, for example, can easily visit Belfast or the Giant’s Causeway as part of an organized tour. However, anyone who generally requires a UK-ETA must also have one for even a short day trip across the land border from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.

According to members of Parliament, the additional costs and administrative burden of the ETA requirement are deterring tour operators from including Northern Ireland in their itineraries. This could harm the region’s tourism sector, which benefits greatly from cross-border tours in which visitors explore both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in a single trip.

For travelers planning a trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland, this means no change to the current situation for the time being: The ETA requirement for entry into Northern Ireland remains in effect, regardless of whether entry is via an airport or the land border. The proposed exemption for customers of certain authorized tour operators is, as of now, merely a recommendation from the committee and has not yet been adopted as a regulation by the British government.

Until a final decision is made, it is recommended that anyone planning a trip to the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland secure their ETA well in advance of departure. If you are unsure which entry documents are required for your planned route, you can submit your documents via our application form and receive professional assistance in obtaining the necessary travel authorization.

Since entry requirements can vary depending on the travel route, nationality, and purpose of travel, it’s worth reviewing the overview of all visa types to find the right option for your planned trip to the United Kingdom or Ireland. If the proposed exemption is actually implemented, it is likely to affect organized group tours in particular, while individual travelers will likely still need an ETA.