UK to Raise ETA Travel Permit Fee Just Weeks After Launch

The United Kingdom is preparing to increase the cost of its new digital travel permit less than a month after it became mandatory for many visitors. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) was required for a wide range of non-European travellers from 8 January 2025, and the Home Office has already announced plans to raise the fee.

The proposed increase would push the price from £10 (€11.82) to £16 (€18.91), a rise of 60%. The change still needs to be debated and approved in Parliament, but it has prompted an immediate backlash from the travel industry.

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How much more a UK ETA will cost

Under the plans, the ETA fee would climb by £6, or 60%, taking it from £10 to £16. The Home Office argues that the change will reduce the system's reliance on taxpayer funding, and estimates that the higher fee could raise around £269 million (€318 million) a year.

The increase is not the only rising cost for travellers to and from Britain. Air Passenger Duty, the tax levied on most flights departing the UK, is also due to go up in 2026, adding to the overall expense of a trip.

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The transit exemption

There is a silver lining buried in the announcement. Passengers who are only connecting through the UK airside, staying within the international zone of an airport without passing through immigration, will no longer need to pay for an ETA at all.

This exemption applies only at the two airports that currently have the necessary transit facilities: Heathrow and Manchester. For travellers simply changing planes there, the requirement to hold an ETA is being dropped, removing a charge that the industry had warned could deter connecting passengers.

Industry reaction and the ETIAS comparison

The reaction from aviation and tourism bodies was swift and critical. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), called the move "bewildering" and a "self-inflicted blow". Joss Croft, chief executive of UKinbound, described it as a "staggering blow", while AirlinesUK chief executive Tim Alderslade said it was "bitterly disappointing". ABTA's Luke Petherbridge pointed to a growing layering of charges on visitors.

The criticism is sharpened by comparison with the EU's own scheme. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), expected to launch later in 2025, is anticipated to cost around €7, remain valid for three years and be free for travellers under 18 and over 70, covering 29 of the 30 Schengen-area countries. On those numbers, a family of four would pay roughly €14 for ETIAS, against £64 (€75.65) for the equivalent UK ETAs.

EU citizens, meanwhile, will need a UK ETA from April 2025, with applications opening on 5 March. Travellers planning a British trip can check what is required in our UK entry requirements guide.