February 26, 2026
Welcome to App-port Control
You Want to Visit the UK? You Better Have a Google Play or App Store Account
Pay a fee, download an app, and hunt the tiny link
TLDR: From February 2026, many visitors to the UK must buy an Electronic Travel Authorisation, with the government steering people to a phone app while the web form hides behind tiny links. Comments split between fee and face-scan anger and defenders who say the app is smoother and actually works.
The UK is rolling out a new entry pass in February 2026 called an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), and the internet is in full meltdown over how you’re “nudged” to use the phone app. The blog post shows a comical click-maze: pages pushing the app, tiny links to the web form, and repeated reminders that the app is “faster.” Cue the comments: one person joked it’s like “Where’s Waldo?” but for the “Continue online” button.
The loudest theme? Pay to visit and scan your face. One user flat-out fumed about the fee, calling it “highway robbery,” while another complained they’re still pressured to do facial scans. A popular gripe: gov.uk feels like it treats users “like a 5-year-old”, with long preamble pages before the real form appears. People worry this funnels travelers into US-controlled app stores and leaves anyone without a smartphone or store account scrambling.
But there’s a twist: a counter-squad insists the app is just better. A defender says the web is “a terrible platform,” claiming the app checks photo quality, reads your passport chip, and survives long, fiddly forms without crashing. Meanwhile, practical types ask the only question that truly matters: Did it work, and how long did it take? The only certainty? Bureaucracy now has a download button—and you might need a magnifying glass for the web option. More at gov.uk.
Key Points
- •From February 2026, visitors from 85 additional countries—including the USA and European countries—will need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), even for tourism.
- •ETA applications and payments can be completed digitally, with the UK government promoting use of the official mobile app.
- •The ETA help page exists but does not directly link from the enforcement announcement, requiring users to search for it.
- •An online application alternative is available but is de-emphasized behind several pages prioritizing the app, with small links to proceed online.
- •The final “Continue application online” link leads to the web-based ETA application start page.