Travel and borders · UK ETA · Electronic travel authorisation · UK border · Travel to the UK

UK ETA: every date, fee and country change from the 2023 launch to today

DevelopingBy Saadat Rafiq and teamUpdated 7 October 2026, 13:48 UTCVerified 7 October 2026, 13:48 UTC · Confidence: highVersion 1 · See all changes

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Information, not legal advice. Rules and dates change: check the official source linked under Sources before you travel or apply.

The UK's electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is a digital permission that visa-free visitors need before travelling to the UK, and since 9 April 2026 to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It opened for Qatari nationals on 15 November 2023 at £10, reached most Europeans on 2 April 2025, and GOV.UK now lists the fee as £20. Several countries have been removed from the list since launch.

Latest update

First version: every official UK ETA date, fee step and country-list change from the 2023 launch to the current £20 fee.

What changed in this version

Version 1, 7 October 2026, 13:48 UTC: Record created.

Key facts

• An ETA currently costs £20, according to GOV.UK. [1]
• With an ETA, a visa-free visitor can come to the UK, and to Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, for stays of up to 6 months. Most visitors from Europe, the USA, Australia and Canada need one rather than a visa. [1]
• European visitors have needed an ETA to travel since 2 April 2025. [2]

Timeline

1. 9 April 2026Since 9 April 2026 an ETA also covers travel to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. [5]
2. 5 March 2026Nationals of Nicaragua and St Lucia lost access to the ETA on 5 March 2026. [5]
3. 3 February 2026On 3 February 2026 the embassy removed the price from its page, saying the cost will change in the future. [2]
4. 9 December 2025Nauruan nationals lost access to the ETA on 9 December 2025. [5]
5. 14 October 2025Botswana was removed from the ETA list on 14 October 2025. [5]
6. 2 April 2025European visitors have needed an ETA to travel since 2 April 2025. [2]
7. 12 March 2025Trinidad and Tobago nationals lost access to the ETA on 12 March 2025. [5]
8. 5 March 2025Applications opened on 5 March 2025 for nationals of EU countries other than Ireland, and of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. [5]
9. 16 January 2025On 16 January 2025 the Home Office laid legislation allowing the ETA fee to rise to £16. [3]
10. 26 November 2024Colombia was taken off the ETA list on 26 November 2024 because Colombians now need a visa. [5]
11. 22 February 2024Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan needed an ETA from 22 February 2024, with applications open from 1 February 2024. [4]
12. 15 November 2023The scheme opened on 15 November 2023, when Qatari nationals began needing an ETA. It cost £10 at launch. [4]
13. 25 October 2023Qatari nationals, the first to use the scheme, could apply from 25 October 2023. [4]

What is confirmed

• One ETA covers multiple trips of up to six months each for two years, or until the passport it is linked to expires if that comes first. [2]
• Travellers must use the passport they applied with; a new passport needs a new ETA. [2]
• Every traveller needs their own ETA, babies and children included. [1]
• Holders of a British or Irish passport, or of permission to live, work or study in the UK, do not need one. [1]
• Passengers who pass through UK border control while changing flights need an ETA. Airside transit passengers were given a temporary exemption in January 2025. [1] [3]
• Most applications are decided automatically within minutes, but GOV.UK advises allowing three working days. [2]
• Qatari nationals, the first to use the scheme, could apply from 25 October 2023. [4]
• The scheme opened on 15 November 2023, when Qatari nationals began needing an ETA. It cost £10 at launch. [4]
• Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan needed an ETA from 22 February 2024, with applications open from 1 February 2024. [4]
• Colombia was taken off the ETA list on 26 November 2024 because Colombians now need a visa. [5]
• On 16 January 2025 the Home Office laid legislation allowing the ETA fee to rise to £16. [3]
• Applications opened on 5 March 2025 for nationals of EU countries other than Ireland, and of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. [5]
• Trinidad and Tobago nationals lost access to the ETA on 12 March 2025. [5]
• On 26 June 2025 the British Embassy in Helsinki updated its ETA page to show a price of £16 instead of £10. [2]
• Botswana was removed from the ETA list on 14 October 2025. [5]
• Nauruan nationals lost access to the ETA on 9 December 2025. [5]
• On 3 February 2026 the embassy removed the price from its page, saying the cost will change in the future. [2]
• Nationals of Nicaragua and St Lucia lost access to the ETA on 5 March 2026. [5]
• Since 9 April 2026 an ETA also covers travel to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. [5]
• EU, EEA and Swiss citizens with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or with an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, need neither a visa nor an ETA. [6]
• The Home Office describes the ETA as part of a more digital border for the millions of people who cross it each year. [3]

What remains unconfirmed

No open questions are being tracked.

Why it matters

The Home Office says millions of people pass through the UK border each year, and visa-free visitors from most of Europe, the US and Australia now need an ETA before they travel. Each traveller, including babies, needs their own. The fee has doubled since launch, and the list of eligible countries keeps changing.

What happens next

No upcoming events are known.

Questions

How much does a UK ETA cost now?

GOV.UK lists the fee as £20. It was £10 at launch in November 2023, and the Home Office laid legislation in January 2025 allowing it to rise to £16.

When did the fee rise to £20?

The GOV.UK pages we checked show the current £20 fee but do not state the date it took effect. We will add it to this record once an official source confirms it.

How long does an ETA last?

Two years, or until the passport it is linked to expires if sooner. It covers multiple visits of up to six months each.

Do EU citizens need a UK ETA?

Yes, except Irish citizens and people with EU Settlement Scheme status or a family permit. Europeans have needed one to travel since 2 April 2025.

Do children need their own ETA?

Yes. Every traveller needs their own, including babies and children.

I'm only changing planes in the UK. Do I need one?

You need one if you pass through UK border control. Passengers who stay airside were given a temporary exemption in January 2025.

Sources

1. Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK, GOV.UKOfficial (government)
   Accessed 7 October 2026.
2. Finns travelling to UK need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, GOV.UKOfficial (government)
   Accessed 7 October 2026.
3. Next steps for a more efficient immigration system, GOV.UKOfficial (government)
   Accessed 7 October 2026.
4. UK opens electronic travel authorisation scheme, GOV.UKOfficial (government)
   Accessed 7 October 2026.
5. Check if you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), GOV.UKOfficial (government)
   Accessed 7 October 2026.
6. Visiting the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, GOV.UKOfficial (government)
   Accessed 7 October 2026.

People, places and organizations

organization

Home Office

organization

UK Visas and Immigration