The Immigration (Electronic Travel Authorisations and the Islands) Regulations 2026

Made: 2nd February 2026

Laid before Parliament: 4th February 2026

Coming into force: 26th February 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 11D(1), (2) and (4) of the Immigration Act 1971[^f00001].

Citation, commencement and extent

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Immigration (Electronic Travel Authorisations and the Islands) Regulations 2026.

• (2) These Regulations come into force on 26th February 2026.

• (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Interpretation

2

In these Regulations—

• “an Island ETA” means an authorisation in electronic form granted under the law of any of the Islands[^f00002] to travel to that Island.

Recognition of Island ETAs

3

• (1) This regulation applies where under the law of any of the Islands a person is granted an Island ETA.

• (2) A person falling within paragraph (1) shall, during the period of validity of their Island ETA, be treated as if they are the holder of an ETA[^f00003].

• (3) Where a person is granted an Island ETA subject to any such conditions as are authorised under the law of that Island, then that person shall be treated as if those conditions had been imposed as conditions of an ETA granted under immigration rules made pursuant to section 11C(2) of the Immigration Act 1971[^f00004].

• (4) Nothing under this regulation shall be taken as requiring a person to be permitted to travel to the United Kingdom contrary to the operation of a scheme made under section 22(1) of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015[^f00005].

Cancellation or variation of an Island ETA in the United Kingdom

4

• (1) An Island ETA having effect in the United Kingdom by virtue of regulation 3(2) may be cancelled or varied by the Secretary of State or an immigration officer under immigration rules made pursuant to section 11C(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 as if it were an ETA granted under those rules.

• (2) Where an Island ETA is cancelled or varied under paragraph (1), regulation 3(2) and (3) shall cease to apply to it or, as the case may be, shall apply to it as varied.

Effects in the United Kingdom of an Island ETA being cancelled or varied under the law of any of the Islands

5

• (1) Where an Island ETA is cancelled or varied—

• (a) under the law of the Island which granted it, or

• (b) under the law of a different Island to that which granted it, insofar as it has effect under the law of that Island,

that cancellation or variation shall have effect in the United Kingdom as if it were done by the Secretary of State or an immigration officer under immigration rules made pursuant to section 11C(2) of the Immigration Act 1971.

• (2) Where an Island ETA is cancelled or varied under paragraph (1), regulation 3(2) and (3) shall cease to apply to it or, as the case may be, shall apply to it as varied.

Effects in the United Kingdom of an ETA being varied or cancelled under the law of any of the Islands

6

• (1) This regulation applies where any of the Islands treats a person who has been granted an ETA as being the holder of an Island ETA and where that ETA, insofar as it has effect under the law of that Island, is cancelled or varied.

• (2) A cancellation or variation falling within paragraph (1) shall have effect in the United Kingdom as if done by the Secretary of State or an immigration officer under immigration rules made pursuant to section 11C(2) of the Immigration Act 1971.

Signed

Mike Tapp — Parliamentary Under Secretary of State — Home Office — 2nd February 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations make provision about the effects in the United Kingdom of the grant or refusal under the law of any of the Islands of an authorisation in electronic form to travel to that Island (“an Island ETA”). They additionally make provision about the effects in the United Kingdom of the variation or cancellation under the law of any of the Islands of a UK electronic travel authorisation (“an ETA”) and of the variation or cancellation of an Island ETA by the Secretary of State or an Immigration Officer.

Regulation 3 provides that an Island ETA shall be treated in the United Kingdom as if it were an ETA granted by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 11C of the Immigration Act 1971 and the immigration rules, including any such conditions to which it is subject under Island law.

Regulation 4 provides that, insofar as it has effect in the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State may vary or cancel an Island ETA; from which point it shall cease to have effect or have effect only as varied.

Regulation 5 provides that an Island ETA that is varied or cancelled by the Island that granted it, or that is varied or cancelled in its effect under the law of another Island, shall have effect in the United Kingdom as if that variation or cancellation had been imposed by the Secretary of State or an Immigration Officer.

Regulation 6 provides that an ETA that is varied or cancelled in its effect under the law of another Island, shall have effect in the United Kingdom as if that variation or cancellation had been imposed by the Secretary of State or an Immigration Officer.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1971 c. 33. Section 11D was inserted by section 75(2) of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (c. 36).

[^f00002]: See section 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971 for the definition of “the Islands”.

[^f00003]: See section 11C(1) of the Immigration Act 1971, as inserted by section 75(2) of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, for the definition of “an ETA”.

[^f00004]: 1971 c. 33. Section 11C was inserted by section 75(2) of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

[^f00005]: 2015 c. 6.