The statement issued by the Guernsey government on March 30 clearly follows on from the details already provided by Jersey.
The timeline is the same, and so is the rollout logic: beginning April 23, 2026, an ETA will be required for non-visa nationals traveling directly from outside the Common Travel Area to the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with applications set to open on April 9.
That alignment reinforces the idea of a coordinated rollout across the Crown Dependencies, namely Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man.
No separate ETA portal for the Crown Dependencies
This was one of the main questions still unresolved after Jersey’s announcement: should travelers expect a dedicated portal for Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, or would the scheme be folded into the UK’s existing electronic travel authorisation system?
The information now published clearly confirms the second scenario. Guernsey explicitly states that applications must be made through GOV.UK or via the official “UK ETA” app.
Jersey is also directing travelers to the same system. In practical terms, travelers planning a trip to the Crown Dependencies will therefore use the official UK portal already in place for the UK ETA, rather than a separate platform.
Another point is also worth highlighting. Although the ETA fee is still listed at £16 today, it will rise to £20 on April 8, 2026. However, applications for direct travel to Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are due to open on April 9. In other words, the first travelers affected by this new requirement in the Crown Dependencies are, in practice, likely to face the higher fee from day one.
French travelers will still be able to take day trips with just a national ID card, and without an ETA
This is the other major clarification provided by Guernsey.
The local government states that the introduction of the ETA will have no impact on the continuation of the scheme allowing French nationals to travel to the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey for a day trip using only their national ID card, provided they are traveling under the conditions set out in that arrangement. Jersey has likewise reiterated that French nationals making this type of trip remain exempt from the ETA requirement.
At this stage, the French exemption therefore remains fully in place for same-day return trips, without a passport and without an electronic travel authorisation.
As in the United Kingdom, the ETA will remain a digital travel authorization rather than a visa. Guernsey notes that it will be valid for two years, or until the traveler’s passport expires if that happens sooner, and that it will allow multiple short stays of up to six months.
The authorities are also stressing one other point: there will be no change for travel within the Common Travel Area, for example between Guernsey and the United Kingdom. By contrast, travelers who transit through the UK before continuing on to the Crown Dependencies are already subject to the UK ETA requirement.
