The UK government is proposing to hike Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) visa fees from £10 (approximately $12.20) to £16 (approximately $19.60).
The drastic 60% fee increase comes less than two weeks after the British government began requiring the document from travelers without UK or Ireland passports, including cruise ship passengers. The same policy is expected to apply to European citizens by April 2025.
According to the local government, the proposed increase will “reduce the reliance of the migration and borders system on taxpayer funding.” Together with higher naturalization and certificate of sponsorship fees, the UK hopes to produce £269 million (approximately $330 million) in additional annual revenues.
Tourism Industry Responds
Industry organizations like the Tourism Alliance criticized the move, referring to it as “staggering” and “crucially uncompetitive.”
“It is staggering that the Government has taken the decision to further increase the costs for tourists visiting the UK, especially in light of its ambition to grow inbound tourism numbers and deliver economic growth,” stated Tourism Alliance Executive Director Richard Toomer.
He added, “Even before this hike to £16 per person, ETA was already an additional cost for travelers, and crucially uncompetitive against the EU’s own forthcoming travel authorization scheme…”
Toomer pointed out that the European Union’s (EU) upcoming European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) has a three-year validity compared to the ETA’s two years.
The higher fee will push through if it is approved by Parliament.
Temporary ETA Exemption for Transiting Passengers
The ETA was also initially required from transiting travelers, even those who were only in UK airports for connecting flights. In the same announcement, the UK government said it was granting a “temporary exemption for passengers who transit airside, and therefore do not pass through UK border control” after receiving feedback from airlines. No information was given on how long the exemption will last.
The new UK Travel rule was announced in December 2024 and implemented beginning January 8, 2025. Cruise passengers planning to embark, disembark, and attend shore excursions in the country have been advised to apply online, pay the fee, and allocate up to three business days for processing and approval.
Last week, Carnival Cruise Line started informing guests about the UK’s ETA and EU’s ETIAS requirements.
