The cost of the UK’s recently introduced Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) could increase by 60 per cent following a proposal by the Home Office on Wednesday (16 January).

The online pre-travel check, first introduced in November 2023, is being rolled out in phases and currently applies to visitors from more than 50 countries. From 2 April 2025, the requirement will extend to travellers from European countries who do not require a visa.

The proposed fee change would see the cost of an ETA application increase from £10 to £16. However, following feedback from the aviation industry, the government has also agreed a temporary exemption for airside transit passengers who, previously, had to apply for an ETA prior to travel. The Home Office said this exemption “will be kept under review”.

The proposed fee hike has sparked criticism across the business travel industry.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of agency consortium the Advantage Travel Partnership described the move as “disappointing” and expressed fears it will hamper both inbound and outbound travel.

“Without a thriving inbound sector, you cannot have a thriving outbound industry. The government should be looking to encourage and harness growth, capitalising on the desire to travel to help our economy prosper by creating jobs and boosting destinations,” she said.

Echoing this, Business Travel Association CEO Clive Wratten said a higher fee will deter  inbound business travellers.

“The government’s timing couldn’t be worse as this policy risks discouraging vital inbound travel, particularly from those coming over to seek meaningful collaboration with UK businesses,” he said.

Wratten also pointed to the EU’s forthcoming Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which is expected to cost €7. “We’re effectively sending a message that we are closed for business and driving visitors instead to mainland Europe or elsewhere,” he said.

Meanwhile, airlines have praised the decision to temporarily exempt transit passengers from ETA requirements.

Tim Alderslade, CEO of industry body Airlines UK, said this “pragmatic step” addresses “the real risk that the UK would lose business to European hubs which don’t require transit visas”.

“We urge that this exemption is made permanent given the vital role that passengers transiting the UK play in making vital international routes viable, particularly to growth markets,” he added. 

The move to digitise the UK’s borders will require all visitors who do not currently need a visa – except British and Irish citizens – to obtain an ETA prior to arrival. Travellers who require a visa to enter the country will still need to obtain a valid visa but will not need an ETA as well.

The changes are expected to enhance border security but, according to UK law firm Kingsley Napley, they may also push more people into requiring visa.

“The Home Office expects there to be around 30 million applications for ETAs a year. If only 1 per cent of those have criminal convictions this will generate (assuming they all apply) an extra 300,000 visa applications per annum for the Home Office to process,” said Katie Newbury, a lawyer at the firm.

In a statement Newbury added there are “real concerns around the capacity of UK Home Office staff to deal with this additional case load and we also expect litigation to flow from Home Office decisions as there is currently no right of appeal against refusal of a visit visa.”