Yuran ETA UK Naik kepada £20: Pecahan Lengkap Perubahan April 2026

On 8 April 2026 the Home Office confirmed that the ETA fee £20 is now the official charge for every Electronic Travel Authorisation issued by the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the increase applies to new applications, not to active permits, which means travellers holding a valid ETA keep their £20 authorisation until it expires. However, most visitors booking summer and autumn 2026 trips will meet the higher price at checkout, and the change has prompted a surge of questions from families, business groups and cruise passengers. Indeed, according to gov.uk guidance on Electronic Travel Authorisations, the revised price reflects rising administration costs and the expansion of the scheme to all visa-exempt nationalities.

What the ETA fee £20 covers and when it took effect

The new charge replaces the previous £20 cost introduced in January 2024. Moreover, the price became payable at 09:00 GMT on 8 April 2026 for every fresh application submitted through the official UK ETA portal or via the UK ETA mobile app. As a result, travellers who started an application before that moment and paid within the same session were charged £16; everyone who began after 09:00 GMT paid £20. The Home Office has confirmed there is no grandfathering beyond the point of payment, so a half-completed application saved in the app on 7 April still costs £20 when submitted on 9 April.

Consequently, our advice for readers of our ETA overview guide is to finish and pay for any pending application immediately or to accept the new price. Additionally, approved applications remain valid for up to two years or until passport expiry, whichever comes first, so the higher cost is spread across multiple trips.

Why the ETA fee £20 was introduced in April 2026

The Home Office gave three reasons for doubling the price. Firstly, biometric checks and Visa dan Imigresen UK decision-making have moved onto upgraded infrastructure. Secondly, customer service staffing has increased following the autumn 2025 rollout to European and Gulf nationals. Thirdly, the UK’s watch-list integration with Interpol and national security databases now runs in real time. Therefore, the fee adjustment funds a service that clears the overwhelming majority of applicants within three working days, with 72 per cent cleared in under 24 hours according to the Home Office quarterly bulletin published on 2 April 2026.

Importantly, the price was set after consultation with the Tourism Alliance, the British Hospitality Association and airline industry groups. In addition, a comparable Schengen ETIAS authorisation will cost €20 when it launches in Q4 2026, so the United Kingdom has aligned with the European benchmark. Indeed, most inbound travellers now see a near-identical price on both sides of the Channel.

How the ETA fee £20 compares with other travel authorisations

Understanding where the updated price sits among global travel authorisations helps travellers budget accurately. Moreover, because an ETA covers multiple trips over two years, the per-visit cost remains competitive. Consequently, the table below compares the UK ETA with the United States ESTA, Canada’s eTA, Australia’s ETA subclass 601 and the forthcoming EU ETIAS scheme.

Skim	Negara	Current fee	Kesahihan	Processing target
Anggaran Masa Tiba UK	United Kingdom	£20	2 tahun / tamat pasport	72 jam
ESTA	Negeri-negeri Bersatu Amerika Syarikat	US$40	2 tahun / tamat pasport	72 jam
eTA	Kanada	C$7	5 years / passport expiry	Minit
Subclass 601 ETA	Australia	A$20	12 bulan	24 hours
ETIAS	EU Schengen	€20 (from Q4 2026)	3 years / passport expiry	Minutes to 4 days

Therefore, the UK offering remains one of the better-value permits once you divide £20 by the number of trips possible during the two-year window. Furthermore, the fee covers unlimited entries for tourism, short business meetings, family visits, short courses up to six months and transit.

Who must pay the ETA fee £20 in 2026

As a result of the phased rollout completed on 2 April 2025, every visa-exempt traveller now needs an ETA before boarding. Consequently, American, Canadian, Japanese, Australian and New Zealand passport holders pay the full charge. Additionally, citizens of every EU and EEA country, the Gulf Cooperation Council members, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Chile and more than 50 other nationalities are within the scheme. Indeed, the only visa-free travellers exempt from paying are British and Irish passport holders, holders of a valid UK visa and anyone with Common Travel Area rights.

For more detail on eligibility, see our dedicated panduan kepada jenis visa UK and the recent ETA launch briefing. Moreover, dual nationals travelling on their British or Irish passport do not pay, but anyone travelling on the non-British document must. Additionally, our processing-times overview confirms that dual-passport holders receive the same decision speed whichever document they submit.

How to apply and pay the ETA fee £20 correctly

The quickest route remains the official UK ETA mobile app, available on the App Store and Google Play. Furthermore, the web form at the UK Government ETA service accepts the same applications when biometric scanning is unavailable. In addition, payment is processed in pounds sterling only, so a card denominated in another currency will incur a conversion charge from the issuing bank. Therefore, if you hold a sterling-denominated Wise, Revolut or traditional UK account, that card usually offers the cheapest total.

Consequently, the application takes roughly ten minutes if you have your passport, a clear face photo, a daytime telephone number and an email address to hand. Additionally, our detailed step-by-step walkthrough still applies to all mandatory fields, even after the price change. Moreover, anyone who encounters upload errors should read our processing and troubleshooting notes before re-submitting.

Refund policy after the April 2026 ETA fee £20 increase

The Home Office confirmed on 8 April 2026 that the new charge is non-refundable once payment has cleared, regardless of the final decision. Therefore, a refused application forfeits the fee, and applicants who made a typo and pay again cannot reclaim the first charge. However, if the portal processed a duplicate transaction due to a technical error, the Home Office issues a refund within 28 working days on receipt of the bank reference. Indeed, travellers should keep the original confirmation email and card statement to support any claim.

Cost-saving tactics now that the ETA fee £20 is higher

Several practical steps help families absorb the increased price. Firstly, apply together on a single household device so you clear any typing errors before payment; a rejection costs another £20. Secondly, pair the application with a fee-free card to avoid foreign exchange mark-ups. Thirdly, maximise the two-year validity by booking return journeys during that window. Consequently, a family of four paying £80 in 2026 can spread it across as many UK trips as they wish before April 2028.

Moreover, tour operators often absorb the ETA fee into package bookings. Therefore, compare a self-booked trip against an inclusive group option, especially for cruises and coach tours where the operator handles the paperwork. For cruise passengers we have more detail in the new port-of-call briefing published alongside this article, and in our safety advice guide.

Frequently asked questions about the ETA fee £20

When exactly did the ETA fee £20 take effect?

The new price applied from 09:00 GMT on 8 April 2026. Moreover, applications paid before that moment were charged £20.

Do I have to pay again if I already hold a £20 ETA?

No. Therefore, existing authorisations remain valid until they expire, so you continue to travel at the old price until renewal is due.

Can I claim a refund if my ETA is refused?

No, the authorisation fee is non-refundable even after a refusal. However, a duplicate payment caused by a technical fault is reimbursed within 28 working days on request.

Does the £20 fee cover multiple trips?

Yes. Consequently, each approved ETA allows unlimited entries for up to two years or until the passport expires, whichever happens first.

Is the fee the same for children?

Yes. Moreover, every traveller, including infants and minors, needs a separate application at £20 each. Furthermore, parents apply on behalf of children under 18.

Will the price rise again soon?

The Home Office review cycle is three years, so the next formal review is scheduled for 2029. However, emergency adjustments remain possible if administration costs change materially.

Is the authorisation cheaper when booked through an agent?

No. Therefore, any third-party adding a service charge is not the official Home Office rate. Consequently, apply directly through gov.uk or the official UK ETA app to pay exactly £20.

Do I pay the fee for short transit through Heathrow?

Airside transit passengers do not currently need an ETA, while anyone passing UK border control does; see our ETA transit summary. Indeed, passengers who clear UK border control at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester or Edinburgh all pay £20.

What to do next after the ETA fee £20 change

Start by checking your passport expiry, because an ETA is linked to the passport you apply with. Moreover, prepare a passport-style digital photograph no older than six months, and list every country you have visited in the past ten years for the travel-history section. Consequently, the application is far smoother with paperwork ready. Additionally, budget accurately for your trip by reading our full tourist visa comparison dan milik kami places to visit in England list to prioritise destinations worth the new price.

Finally, tell travel companions and corporate booking teams about the change, because last-minute group bookings risk several duplicate applications at the higher rate. Therefore, the new authorisation price is easier to absorb when the whole household, team or coach party applies together with accurate details the first time.