The fee for the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation rises from £16 to £20 on April 9, 2026, per the UK Home Office, giving applicants roughly two more weeks at the lower rate. Because an ETA remains valid for two years and multiple entries, anyone with even a vague plan to visit Britain, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland before spring 2028 can lock in the current price now.
The ETA itself is not new — it has been required of visa-free nationals including US citizens since January 2025 — but the increase is the first since launch and brings the UK charge in line with what the Home Office described as cost recovery for running the system.
What is the ETA and who needs one?
The Electronic Travel Authorisation is a digital permission linked to the traveler's passport, required in advance for visa-free visitors to the UK, including transit passengers who pass border control. Per the UK government's guidance, applications are made through the official UK ETA app or the gov.uk website, ask for passport details, a photo, and basic personal information, and most decisions arrive within minutes. There is no interview and no need to state travel plans in detail.
How much does a trip to the UK cost in entry fees now?
From April 9, 2026, a first-time visa-free visitor pays £20 for the ETA and nothing at the border — there is no separate stamp or landing charge. At the current £16 rate until then, the saving is £4 per applicant: modest for one traveler, but £16 for a family of four, and the authorization covers trips over two years regardless of when prices rise. An approved ETA is not a guarantee of entry; a border officer still makes the final call at the gate.
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Does the ETA apply to Ireland and the Common Travel Area?
No. Irish citizens do not need an ETA, and passengers staying within the Common Travel Area are outside the requirement. The distinction that catches travelers is transit: connecting airside through a UK airport on the way to a third country generally requires an ETA even when the UK is not the destination. Cruisers and Eurostar passengers arriving into border control face the same rule as airport arrivals.
Why the UK charges at all
The ETA follows the model of the US ESTA and anticipates the EU's own ETIAS authorization: digitize advance screening of visa-free travelers, charge a modest fee that funds the system, and keep the border decision itself unchanged. Per the Home Office, the UK version has processed millions of applications since it became mandatory for non-Europeans in January 2025, with approval rates high and median decision times measured in minutes rather than days.
For travelers, the arithmetic is simple. Apply at £16 before April 9, 2026, and the two-year authorization rides out the increase entirely; wait until after, and the same digital permission costs £20. The official application channel is the gov.uk site or the UK ETA app — third-party sites charge markup fees for an identical result.