Traveling to the UK will still cost a little more. The British government has confirmed that from the April 8, 2026 the price of theETA, the Electronic Travel Authorization, will go up from 16 to 20 pounds.
We are not talking about an actual visa, but that electronic authorization now required for a great many travelers, including Italians, before embarking to London or any other destination in the United Kingdom.
What is ETA for the United Kingdom
The ETA is the digital pass required for citizens of many countries who do not need a traditional visa to enter the United Kingdom for tourism, visiting relatives or friends, business trips and other short stays up to 6 months. The UK government also reminds us that. ETA does not automatically guarantee entry: indeed, it remains a prior authorization to travel, not an absolute right to pass border controls.
As of April 8, 2026, the cost increases from 16 to 20 pounds
The novelty is all here, and it is very concrete: Today ETA costs 16 pounds, but from April 8, 2026 it will cost 20 pounds. The increase is listed both on the official ETA page and in the updated Home Office fee schedule released for the new fees to take effect. Translated: those planning a trip to London, Manchester, Scotland or Northern Ireland in the coming months would do well to remember that Even the simple “entry permit” will become more expensive.
And this is precisely the point that will turn many travelers’ noses up: is not the first inflation. When ETA was introduced, the initial tariff was set at 10 pounds. Subsequently, the price rose to 16 pounds, and now it will come to 20 pounds. Thus, in just over two years, the cost has doubled from the starting figure.
For those who fly once or twice a year maybe it won’t be life-changing, but the signal is clear: Entering the UK is increasingly a paid process, even for those who until a few years ago simply traveled with a passport and no other bureaucratic steps.
Even babies and children must have it
Then there is a detail that many people underestimate: ETA is needed for each individual passenger, including infants and children. This means that for a family, the price increase weighs even heavier, because the cost is not per reservation or per household, but per person.
Why London keeps raising the price
The official explanation is one we have heard many times before: the UK frames ETA as an instrument of border security and digitization of controls, along the lines of similar models already adopted by other countries. The Home Office claims that the system serves to prevent the arrival of people considered at risk and to modernize the process of entering the country. In February 2026, the British government also stated that the program had already generated more than 383 million pounds in revenues to be reinvested in the border and immigration system.
And it is here that many travelers will see the less romantic side of the matter: more than just a formality, ETA is increasingly confirmed as a mini entry fee.
What changes for Italians who want to go to London
For the Italians, the substance does not change: ETA remains mandatory to go to the UK when a classic visa is not required, and will continue to be valid for multiple trips, with stays up to 6 months at a time, for a maximum period of Two years or until the expiration of the passport, depending on which event comes first. It changes the price, however, and it changes upward again.
For those who frequent the United Kingdom frequently, perhaps for work, weekends in London or connecting flights departing from British airports, this is yet another small fee to budget for. Not a huge amount, of course, but enough to confirm a trend: going to the UK is getting less and less easy, and less and less cheap, even before boarding.
