The U.K. government is planning a further 25 percent increase in the cost of its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which would raise the fee from £16 to £20.
The online pre-travel entry system, first introduced in 2023, is now required by travelers from countries who do not need a visa to visit the UK, including citizens of EU members and other countries, such as the U.S., Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Last year, the UK raised the ETA fee by 60 percent from £10 to £16, with the increased fee coming into force in April 2025.
According to a Home Office briefing, the government wants to increase the cost of ETA by a further £4 to £20. Although no date has yet been given for this change, with the latest increase needing to secure parliamentary approval.
"As with all our fees the cost of an ETA is kept under review, and we intend to increase the cost of an ETA to £20 in the future. We will provide more information in due course," said the Home Office in its statement.
The ETA allows multiple trips to the UK for stays of up to six months over a two-year period or until the traveler's passport expires. The government said 19.6 million ETAs were granted in the first two years of the scheme, up to the end of September 2025.
Another change, coming into force from Feb. 25, will prevent eligible visitors without an ETA from boarding their transport to the UK.
Travelers who take connecting flights at UK airports and pass through UK passport control still need an ETA, unless they are transiting through London Heathrow or Manchester airports and do not go through the UK border.
The UK government also wants to raise the cost of a two-year visitor visa from £475 to £506 for travelers who do not qualify for an ETA.
Joss Croft, CEO of travel association UKinbound, said: "Increasing visa and ETA costs risks pulling the visitor economy in the wrong direction and stunting that growth.
"International visitors have a choice, and the UK already has some of the highest entry costs in the world. Making it even more expensive to visit undermines our competitiveness and puts valuable export income at risk.
"Inbound tourism supports jobs, high streets, pubs and hospitality businesses in communities across the UK. If the government wants growth to be felt locally, it must rethink these increases and keep the UK open, welcoming and competitive."
The UK's latest ETA rise comes after the EU announced last year that it would increase the fee for its own upcoming ETIAS electronic authorization system, from €7 to €20 per application. ETIAS is due to be launched in late 2026 after numerous delays.
The longstanding US equivalent, ESTA, has also seen a significant recent price hike, with the price almost doubling from $21 to $40 in September 2025.