United Kingdom sets £20 fee for Electronic Travel Authorisation rollout

How the ETA scheme works

The United Kingdom's Electronic Travel Authorisation costs £20 and covers multiple trips of up to six months over a two-year window or until the holder's passport expires. The permit links electronically to a single passport and must be obtained before boarding any UK-bound transport, the Home Office confirmed in its April 2026 factsheet.

The ETA isn't a visa. Border Force officers retain authority to refuse entry on arrival. Earlier communications cited a £10 launch fee and a planned increase to £16 in April 2025, but the current published rate is £20. Third-party services often charge above the official fee, so applications should go through gov.uk or the official UK ETA app.

Who needs one

The rollout reached full enforcement on Feb. 25, 2026, pulling in nearly every non-visa nationality. Gulf state nationals were brought in first, followed by non-European visa-exempt travelers (US, Canada, Australia and others) who became subject to the requirement on Jan. 8, 2025. European nationals from Schengen states and most EU/EEA countries followed on April 2, 2025.

Tourists, business visitors, short-term students on courses under six months, certain creative workers staying up to three months and transit passengers all fall under the scheme. Remote workers entering on standard visitor conditions, including those working for foreign employers while traveling, need an ETA for each passport used.

Exemptions apply to:

• British and Irish citizens
• Non-Irish nationals lawfully resident in Ireland traveling within the Common Travel Area
• Holders of a valid UK visa or immigration status, including EU Settlement Scheme status
• Nationals of visa-required countries such as India and China, who still need a standard visa

Applying before travel

Applications run through the official UK ETA app or the gov.uk website. Applicants submit passport details, a digital photo meeting UK specifications, contact information, travel purpose and answers to suitability questions covering criminal and immigration history.

Decisions often arrive within minutes, though the Home Office advises allowing up to three working days. The passport used in the application must be the same one used to travel.

Read our full United Kingdom guide for the complete picture and check our nomad news feed for more travel alerts.