The UK has raised the price of its Electronic Travel Authorisation to £20 (roughly €24), nearly double the original cost since the programme launched in 2023.
If you’re planning a trip to the UK soon, your Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) has now skyrocketed by 25% compared to last year.
To put the new price into perspective, a family of four is looking at £80 in travel costs, just for travel authorisation.
Why the price hike?
The UK Home Office confirmed the increase on March 18, with the higher fee applying to any application submitted from April 8 onwards.
At present, the change is framed as part of a shift towards a “user-funded” border system, in which operational costs are passed to travellers rather than covered by general taxation.
The rest of the scheme thankfully stays the same: one ETA covers multiple trips to the UK over two years (or until your passport expires, whichever comes first), with individual stays of up to six months permitted.
Do I really need an ETA for the UK?
Unfortunately, you probably do. As of February 25, 2026, holding an approved ETA is mandatory before travelling to the UK.
Airlines have the right to deny passengers who don’t have one — and yes, that includes Dutch nationals, EU citizens, and internationals who hold EU residence permits.
British and Irish citizens are exempt, as are people who already hold a valid UK visa or have EU Settlement Scheme status.
ETA scams are on the rise
Many third-party websites posing as government ETA services have been aggressively targeting travellers, with one unlucky tourist even being charged a whopping €437 in scam fees.
To avoid potential scams, apply only through the official UK government website or the UK ETA app, available on both iOS and Android.
Most applications receive an automatic decision within minutes, though the Home Office recommends allowing up to three working days to be safe.
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