Nationals of the EU may have to pay more for the UK’s new travel permit – the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – as the country has proposed to increase the current cost.

The UK Home Office has proposed to hike the cost of the ETA by 60 per cent. This means that when the requirement to obtain an ETA enters into force for EU nationals, the latter might have to pay a €18 (£16) fee instead of the current €11 (£10), Schengen.News reports.

The requirement to obtain an ETA before travelling to the UK already applies to all other foreign nationals, except for EU passport holders. Visitors at present are required to pay €11 (£10) for the permit, which remains valid for a period of two years.

However, once the UK authorities decide to hike the price of the ETA, everyone who needs the document for entry to the UK will also have to pay the hiked fee when applying or renewing their permit.

EU nationals will need to hold an ETA for travel to the UK from April 2, 2025. On the other hand, they will be eligible to apply for the document from March 5, 2025.

The main aim of the UK’s ETA is to ensure more robust checks and to prevent the abuse of the immigration system. The ETA requirement applies to all those who are permitted visa-free entry to the UK, including kids and babies.

Proposal to Hike Costs of ETA Criticised by IATA

The UK Home Office said that by increasing the cost of the ETA, the authorities want to reduce the reliance of the border and migration system on the money of taxpayers.

However, this proposal has been highly criticised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh said that the proposal to increase ETA costs only one week after the system was introduced for a large number of foreign nationals is bewildering.

Proposing to increase ETA costs just a week after the system was introduced is bewildering. If implemented it would be a self-inflicted blow to the UK’s tourism competitiveness. In November, the government laid out plans to increase tourist arrivals by 30 per cent to reach 50 million annually by 2030 in pursuit of tourism’s economic benefits.

The same stressed that a 60 per cent hike is a very bad start and at the same time stressed that the UK should not forget that travellers have the opportunity to choose and the EU’s ETIAS will be of a better value.