New UK ETA Rules Every Poker Player Must Follow in 2026

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The UK Home Office rolls out a new admission scheme, coming into force on February 25. According to it, all poker players from non-visa countries will need to apply for an ETA in advance to visit the UK. Starting from March, a significant number of live poker tournaments and festivals will take place across the UK, such as the UK Poker League by 888 Poker, Grosvenor, and British Poker Series. If you plan to attend these or other events, discover the new UK visitor rules below.

What Traveling Poker Players Need To Know About ETA?

ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is the digital permit system in the UK. It has been operating since 2023, but the recent changes have made the border crossing process more rigorous. These permits are the British attempt to introduce digitalisation into the immigration sector and tighten the “no permission, no travel” policy.

As one gets the travel authorisation, it’s electronically linked to the player’s passport. The carrier must check it before departure. If the ETA is absent or expired, the poker player will be denied boarding.

The digital permit allows a short-term stay in the country. Poker punters can’t stay in the UK for more than 6 months, although the ETA itself is valid for 2 years. If you plan to travel with other fellow players or friends, note that each person should have an individual permit.

Poker Players Who Need to Apply for a UK ETA Permit

New UK visitor rules relate to visitors from 85 non-visa nationalities. To attend a UK-based poker tournament, if you are affected by the advance authorisation scheme, an ETA is required. See some of the countries below:

• USA;
• Spain;
• Germany;
• Canada;
• Australia, and others.

Things are easier for poker punters with dual citizenship, one of which is British. They don’t need to apply for the digital permit as the British passport is already the right of entry. Or, any other foreign passport with the Right to Abode in Great Britain can act as an individual permit.

What Do These Changes Mean to Poker Players?

The recent Home Office regulations make it almost impossible to enroll a poker tournament at the last moment. One can apply for the permission on the GOV.UK service or install the UK ETA app. A fee costs £16 but may soon increase to £20. These funds are non-refundable.

Although application approvals are usually quick, poker players should submit the permit in advance, at least 3 days before departure. There’s always a chance of getting a refusal because of the missing papers or poor image quality.

Don’t you want to skip the 888poker Live kicking off on March 12? Take care of your immigration permit in advance.