Overview
- The UK has increased its ETA fee from GBP 16 (USD 21.47) to GBP 20 (USD 26.83), applicable from April 8.
- British and Irish citizens, including dual nationals, don’t need an ETA presently. But, they must present a British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement.
Your next trip to the UK just got more expensive. The UK’s Home Office recently published its latest round of immigration, nationality, and passport fee hikes. Under this, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) fee – a mandatory digital travel permit required for visa-exempt travellers visiting or transiting the UK – is set to increase by 25 percent, from GBP 16 (USD 21.47) to GBP 20 (USD 26.83).
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Travellers, take note:
Currently, an ETA is not required for international visitors passing through Heathrow and Manchester airports without going through UK Passport Control.
What travellers must know about the UK’s ETA fee hike
For the uninitiated, travellers visiting the UK originally required either a visa or an ETA, depending on their purpose of visit and nationality. On February 25, 2026, the UK introduced a new travel regulation, mandating every international traveller, including those from visa-exempt countries, to obtain an ETA before entering.
UK ETA’s evolving costs
When ETA was launched in November 2023, it carried a modest fee of GBP 10 (USD 13.42). This was increased to GBP 16 (USD 21.47) in April 2024, further rising to GBP 20 (USD 26.83) on April 8, 2026.
A family of four visiting the UK will now have to pay GBP 80 (USD 107.33), instead of GBP 64 (USD 85.27). While the increase in the ETA fee may seem modest, it will largely matter for volume traffic, including short-haul European tourists or multinational teams that often transit via London.
“Airlines, including easyJet and Ryanair, told the UK Travel Retail Forum they expect a short-term spike in pre-April-8 applications,” reports VisaHQ. This will be followed by a temporary booking lull, the report explains.
While British and Irish citizens, including dual nationals, do not require an ETA currently, they are required to present a British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement (costing GBP 589/USD 790.24) to enter the UK. Foreign passports, on their own, will not suffice.
(Feature image credit: Chan Lee/Unsplash)
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Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
Written By
Yashita Vashishth
Assistant Editor – Growth
Writer by day, reader by night, Yashita has a flair for all things travel, wellness and food. She has ..Read More
