Commonwealth Games 2026 Glasgow: UK ETA Travel Guide

Heading to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow? The event runs from 23 July to 2 August 2026, and most overseas fans need a UK ETA before they fly. The travel authorisation costs £20, is usually approved within three working days, and stays valid for two years. Sort it out before you book flights.

Key facts for Games visitors

• Games dates: 23 July – 2 August 2026, with the opening ceremony at the OVO Hydro (Glasgow 2026).
• ETA fee: £20 per person since 8 April 2026 (GOV.UK).
• Who it covers: around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories compete, and their supporters travel from every one of those countries.
• Processing: a decision usually arrives within three working days; many come through in minutes (GOV.UK guidance).
• Validity: two years, or until your passport expires — so one approval can cover a return trip.
• Mandatory since: 25 February 2026 for visa-exempt travellers, including EU citizens (Home Office factsheet).

Do you need a UK ETA for the Commonwealth Games?

Most visitors do. Since 25 February 2026, every visa-exempt traveller — Europeans, Australians, Canadians, Americans and dozens of Commonwealth nationals — must hold a UK ETA before boarding a flight, ferry or train to Britain. The rule is enforced as “no permission, no travel”, so an airline can refuse to check you in without one.

Your nationality decides which document you need. Ireland is exempt. Anyone who already holds a UK visa or a valid immigration status does not need an ETA on top. Everyone else in the visa-exempt list applies for the £20 authorisation. If you are unsure, the official GOV.UK visa checker confirms your status in a couple of minutes.

Your situation	What you need for Glasgow 2026
EU, US, Canadian, Australian, Gulf and most visa-exempt passports	UK ETA (£20), applied for online in advance
Commonwealth nationals from visa-required countries (e.g. Nigeria, India, Ghana, Kenya)	Standard Visitor visa — not an ETA
Irish citizens	Nothing — exempt under the Common Travel Area
Existing UK visa or residence holders	Travel on that status; no ETA needed

Some athletes’ families discover this late. A netball supporter from Cape Town, for example, needs a South African passport check first: South Africans are visa-exempt, so a £20 ETA is enough. A fan flying from Lagos, by contrast, applies for a Standard Visitor visa, which takes longer and costs more. Check your own passport rules the day you decide to go, not the week before. For a nationality-by-nationality feel, our guide on the UK ETA for Japanese citizens shows how the process works for one visa-exempt country.

Glasgow 2026: dates, venues and sports

The 23rd Commonwealth Games take place across 11 days, from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2026. Ten sports and six para sports run inside four venues clustered in a compact corridor, which makes day-hopping between events realistic even on a tight schedule.

The four competition hubs are Scotstoun Stadium, the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), the Glasgow International Arena and Tollcross International Swimming Centre. Athletics, swimming, track cycling, artistic gymnastics, 3×3 basketball, boxing, judo, netball, bowls and weightlifting fill the programme. You can plan a route with the official Glasgow 2026 venue map and the day-by-day schedule.

Because the venues sit within a few miles of each other, many spectators base themselves centrally and use public transport. Scotland’s tourism board keeps a visitor page for the event at VisitScotland, worth a look for accommodation and city ideas.

Not sure whether the form applies to you or a travelling parent? We can check the details and submit the ETA on your behalf. You can apply directly on gov.uk for £20, or use our checking and support service if you would rather not fill in the form alone.

Getting to Glasgow: airports, trains and transport

Three airports serve the Games. Glasgow Airport (GLA) sits eight miles west of the city, Edinburgh (EDI) is about an hour by train, and Glasgow Prestwick (PIK) handles budget routes to the south-west. From central Glasgow, the venues are reachable by subway, bus and ScotRail services.

Book train travel early through National Rail, since ticket prices climb as trains fill during the Games. If you land at Edinburgh and want to explore both cities, our Scotland travel guide for 2026 and the getting around Britain transport guide map out the practical options. Arriving by sea? Cruise passengers have their own rules, covered in our Crown Dependencies entry guide.

When to apply for your UK ETA before the Games

Apply the moment your trip is confirmed. GOV.UK advises allowing up to three working days for a decision, and while most approvals land within minutes, a small number get referred for extra checks. With the Games opening on 23 July 2026 and hundreds of thousands of visitors applying at once, an early submission removes the last-minute panic.

A practical example: Lena, a track-cycling fan from Munich, books her flight in May. She applies for her ETA the same evening, gets approval overnight, and never thinks about it again. Her friend who waits until the week of departure spends two anxious days refreshing an inbox. One approach is calm; the other is not. Since the authorisation lasts two years, applying months ahead costs you nothing.

If you are travelling with older relatives or children, sort every application together so nobody is left behind at check-in. Our breakdown of the UK ETA cost for children explains that under-18s still need their own authorisation.

Applying for the UK ETA: step by step

The application is short and runs entirely online. You will need the passport you plan to travel on, a payment card and about ten minutes.

1. Have your current passport ready — the ETA links electronically to that document.
2. Complete the form with your personal details and a photo, then answer the suitability questions honestly.
3. Pay the £20 fee and submit.
4. Wait for the email decision, usually within three working days.

You can start on the official GOV.UK ETA page yourself. If you would rather have a second pair of eyes, see why travellers use our service or read the answers on our 2026 UK ETA FAQ page. You can also start an application here. One reminder that trips people up: your ETA must match the passport you carry to the border, so apply after any passport renewal, never before.

Practical tips for Games visitors

Accommodation is the pinch point. Glasgow’s hotels book out fast during the Games, and prices rise the closer you get. Reserve a room before you finalise flights, and consider staying in Edinburgh or a commuter town if the city sells out. Britain’s England travel guide covers wider trip planning if you are adding stops.

• Pack for changeable weather — Scottish summers swing between sun and rain within an afternoon.
• Keep a digital and paper copy of your ETA confirmation, even though it links to your passport automatically.
• Buy an OYSTER-style ScotRail smartcard or contactless card for city transport rather than paper tickets.
• If you plan to catch other events during your stay, our guide to the UK ETA for sports fans lists what an ETA does and does not allow.
• Stopping in Iceland or Norway on the way? Check whether you still need an ETA in our stopover FAQ.

Travelling with grandparents who find online forms stressful? We can check every answer and submit the application for them, so nobody misses the opening ceremony over a paperwork slip. Prefer to do it yourself first? The FAQ page walks through the common questions.

We are an independent assistance service, not a government body. You can apply for the UK ETA directly on gov.uk for £20, or use our checking and support service for help completing and submitting the form.

Frequently asked questions

Does a UK ETA let me attend Commonwealth Games events?

Yes. The UK ETA is a visitor authorisation that covers tourism, including attending sporting events like Glasgow 2026. You can watch any session you hold a ticket for. It does not allow paid work.

How much does the UK ETA cost in 2026?

It costs £20 per person, a price that took effect on 8 April 2026. Every traveller needs their own, including children. Payment is by card at the end of the online form.

How early should I apply before the Games?

Apply as soon as your trip is booked. GOV.UK advises allowing up to three working days, though most decisions arrive within minutes. Early applications avoid the pre-Games rush from July 2026.

Do EU citizens need an ETA for Glasgow 2026?

Yes. Since 25 February 2026, EU citizens must hold a UK ETA before travelling. The only exception is Irish citizens, who are exempt under the Common Travel Area.

How long is the UK ETA valid?

Two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. One approval can cover several trips, so a Games visit could also serve a later holiday within that window.

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About the author. Eleanor Winslade is a Senior Travel Documentation Editor who has covered UK entry requirements since 2017. She checks every guide against the latest GOV.UK guidance before publication.
Updated: 2026-07-07