The UK ETA Cost Went Up in April, and Who Is Still Exempt

The United Kingdom raised the cost of its Electronic Travel Authorisation with effect from 8 April 2026, under the Home Office's revised immigration and nationality fee table.

The increase itself is straightforward. What continues to cause problems is the question underneath it: whether you need one at all.

What the ETA actually gives you
An approved ETA permits multiple journeys to the UK, for stays of up to six months at a time. It is valid for two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

That last clause is the one that catches people. An ETA is tied to the passport it was issued against. Renew your passport and the ETA does not follow you to the new one.

Who does not need an ETA
Three groups are exempt.

Irish citizens do not need one.

British passport holders do not need one, including dual nationals travelling on their British passport.

Anyone who already holds UK immigration permission does not need one. If you have a visa or a status that permits you to be in the UK, the ETA is not an additional requirement layered on top.

The scale of it
The Home Office's April 2026 factsheet records that 24.8 million ETAs were issued between the scheme's launch in October 2023 and the end of 2025.

That is a very large number of travellers, and it explains why the scheme has become a target for imitation sites.

Applying, and avoiding the copies
The Home Office directs applicants to the official GOV.UK route or the official UK ETA mobile application, and provides a Check My ETA service for confirming the status of an existing authorisation.

Because the scheme is high-volume and the process is short, a substantial industry of lookalike sites has grown around it. Anything charging well above the standard cost, or presenting itself as an official government service when it is not, should be treated with suspicion. The Home Office publishes a route for reporting immigration scam sites.

What to check before you travel
Confirm your ETA is linked to the passport you are actually travelling on. This is the most common failure.

Check the expiry. Two years passes quickly, and an ETA obtained for a trip in 2024 may no longer be valid.

If you fall into one of the exempt groups, do not apply. Travellers with existing UK immigration permission sometimes apply for an ETA unnecessarily, which achieves nothing.

Verified against the Home Office immigration and nationality fee table effective 8 April 2026, and the Home Office ETA factsheet, April 2026.