| Entry without a visa | up to 6 months as a visitor, business trips included |
| ETA | £20, valid 2 years or until your passport expires, unlimited trips |
| Document | passport; national ID card only with EU settlement status or in a few special cases |
| Allowed | meetings, negotiations, trade fairs, site visits, internal training |
| Not allowed | paid or unpaid work for a UK business |
| As of | November 2026 |
The ETA: what it is and what it costs
EU and Swiss citizens need no visa to visit the UK, but they do need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA. Irish citizens are exempt. The ETA covers the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man and allows stays of up to six months for holidays, family visits, business trips and short study.
It costs £20, you apply online or through the app, and it is valid for two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You can travel as often as you like in that time. Most decisions arrive within a day, and at the latest after three working days. Everyone needs their own ETA, children included. An ETA does not guarantee entry; you are still checked at the border.
You need no ETA with a British or Irish passport, a UK visa, or a right to live in the UK such as settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Be wary of websites that charge more: GOV.UK explicitly warns about sites that imitate official pages.
ID card or passport?
More people ask this than you would think, and for most the answer is: passport. EU and Swiss citizens can only enter on a national ID card if they hold settled or pre-settled status, an EUSS family permit or a frontier worker permit, are an S2 healthcare visitor, or have confirmation of a valid EUSS application. Everyone else needs a passport that is valid for the whole trip.
On arrival EU and Swiss citizens can still use the automatic ePassport gates.
What you may do on a business trip
As a Standard Visitor you may do business as long as no UK organisation or UK client pays you for it. Among other things, you may:
- attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars
- negotiate and sign deals and contracts
- promote your company at trade fairs, but not sell on the stand
- carry out site visits and inspections
- oversee the delivery of goods or services that a UK company provides to your overseas business
- train staff of your overseas employer in the UK on internal projects or share knowledge with them
- as an employee of an overseas company, install, service or repair machinery, equipment or software under a purchase, supply or lease contract with a UK company
- take part in certain events as a paid expert, under a Permitted Paid Engagement
Where the business trip ends
What you may not do is paid or unpaid work for a UK business, or work as a self-employed person in the UK, except under a Permitted Paid Engagement. That needs a work visa. Nor may you effectively live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits.
The grey area is client contact. The Immigration Rules only allow an overseas company's employee to see clients if it happens within the group, is incidental, and serves a project of the UK entity, not a project the overseas company delivers directly to the UK client. Anyone delivering the actual service to a UK client usually needs a visa, such as the Service Supplier.
Since 8 October 2026, HC 584 has brought one small relief: visitors no longer have to show that the training they receive in the UK is unavailable in their home country.
Visit or visa?
| What you plan to do | Visitor with ETA | Visa needed |
|---|---|---|
| Negotiating with a UK customer | yes | |
| Trade fair stand selling on site | yes | |
| Your own technicians installing a machine the customer bought | yes, under a supply contract | |
| Three-month consulting project at a UK client | usually yes | |
| Setting up your own UK branch and living in the UK | yes, for example UK Expansion Worker | |
| Internal training at your own UK subsidiary | yes |
Our reading of GOV.UK and Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities; the border officer decides the individual case
Business trips and tax
Even without a visa a business trip can have tax consequences. Spend enough days in the UK and you can become resident under the Statutory Residence Test, and a company that regularly concludes contracts in the UK can create a permanent establishment there. More under status and tax. When the trips are meant to become a UK presence, UK Company Setup is the next step.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay in the UK without a visa?
Up to six months per visit as a visitor. Effectively living in the UK through frequent visits breaks the rules.
Do children need their own ETA?
Yes. Everyone needs their own ETA, babies included.
Does the ETA cover Jersey and Guernsey?
Yes. It covers the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
Do I get the £20 back if I don't travel?
No. Once you have applied there is no refund.
Can I work on my laptop for my employer back home while visiting?
Yes, as long as that is not the main purpose of your visit. The Immigration Rules expressly allow visitors to do work for their employment overseas while in the UK. If you mainly come to work from the UK, or stay many weeks a year, have the visa and the tax side checked.
Sources: GOV.UK: Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA); GOV.UK: Visiting the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen; GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor; GOV.UK: Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities; GOV.UK: Statement of changes HC 584, explanatory memorandum
