Will UK ETA and ETIAS Costs Rise in 2026?

A headline asking whether travel fees will rise can make it sound sensible to apply immediately. That advice misses two questions: is the system actually accepting applications, and does this traveller need one? A cheap application is still wasted money if it is unnecessary or cannot be issued.

This guide separates confirmed fees from forecasts and explains how to budget for a UK and European trip. It is general information, not a guarantee about future legislation or an individual's entry requirements. Check the linked official pages again before applying.

UK ETA: use the current official amount

The official UK application page lists GBP 20 for applying online or through the UK ETA app. It says you cannot get a refund after applying and cannot obtain a faster decision through another website or app.

That establishes today's fee, not a promise that it will stay unchanged for the remainder of 2026 or rise on a particular date. This review does not identify a confirmed further UK ETA increase. Check an official announcement and its effective date before treating a proposed or predicted amount as payable.

Do not apply months early solely because an article predicts a price rise. First consider whether you need an ETA, whether you already have one and whether the passport will change. An authorisation does not preserve unused validity for a replacement passport.

ETIAS: published fee is not an open application service

The official ETIAS homepage currently states that the system is not in operation and no applications are being collected. It says the EU will announce the specific start date several months before launch. Do not convert an older broad timetable into a guaranteed date or assume that reaching a particular quarter makes applications open.

The published application fee is EUR 20. A fee in official planning guidance does not mean you can obtain an authorisation today. Do not pay an intermediary to issue ETIAS before the official system accepts applications.

Once applications open, use the official website or app and check the current entry and rollout rules for the travel date. Paying for private assistance is not the same as receiving a government authorisation, and a fee prediction is not an official launch notice.

Who will pay the ETIAS fee?

The official ETIAS FAQ lists applicants under 18 and over 70 as fee-exempt. It also describes an exemption for qualifying family members of EU nationals, subject to specific conditions. Age alone is therefore not the complete fee-exemption checklist.

Fee exemption and exemption from needing ETIAS are different questions. Someone who must apply but does not pay still needs the appropriate authorisation when required. Someone outside the authorisation requirement should not be counted as a free applicant who must fill in a form anyway.

Check nationality, residence documents and qualifying family-member status using the official guidance. Having a European relative does not automatically establish that status. The FAQ explains conditions rather than granting every relative a fee waiver.

A family budget without a made-up travel story

These are conditional arithmetic examples, not accounts of named passengers or quotes for a specific booking. Keep pounds and euros separate rather than adding them using an undated exchange rate. Payment providers may apply their own conversion and charges.

The official UK app guide also allows a choice of payment currency. Check the checkout amount rather than assuming every card will receive a sterling transaction. Our UK application cost guide explains that distinction.

Exemptions can matter more than a possible price change

British and Irish citizens cannot get a UK ETA, including dual citizens. Existing UK visas and permission to live, work or study in the UK are among the exemptions. See the official exemption list, including conditional arrangements for qualifying Irish residents.

Airside transit without passing UK border control is ETA-exempt. Confirm the itinerary with the airline instead of budgeting GBP 20 just because the connection is at Heathrow. Any separate transit-visa rules for the passport remain a different question.

UK immigration permission does not automatically settle whether ETIAS will be needed for a separate European journey. Nor does ETIAS replace a visa where a visa is required. Check the actual destination and personal circumstances, not only the name of the authorisation.

Passport changes and repeat journeys

A UK ETA lasts two years or until the passport used to apply expires, whichever comes first. A changed passport requires a new ETA. Check existing permission on the unchanged passport before paying for another application; the official service can show whether you have an ETA and its expiry.

ETIAS guidance describes three-year validity or earlier travel-document expiry. That is separate from the permitted length of a visit. Its rules and destination coverage must be checked when planning travel; a multi-year authorisation is not permission to live in the covered countries.

Do not assume every change of circumstances has the same consequence in the two systems. Read the current instructions for corrections, new documents and any negative decision rather than applying a single generic renewal rule.

Decision times are not prices for speed

For the UK ETA, a decision usually arrives by email within a day but can take up to three working days. Wait for the approval email before travelling. Do not translate working days into a promise of approval within 72 calendar hours.

The ETIAS FAQ describes its planned processing stages, including additional information or an interview in some cases. Do not promise every traveller a decision in minutes or impose a made-up one-week safe deadline. Follow the published guidance when applications open and allow time for the actual circumstances.

Similarly, do not use the expected timing of either authorisation to predict a visa outcome. A visa is a separate route with its own fees, evidence and decision process, not simply a more expensive version of the same application.

Refunds and rollout arrangements

The UK application page says the fee is not refundable after applying. The ETIAS FAQ says an unsuccessful application's fee is non-refundable. An unexpected duplicate card charge is a separate problem to raise with the relevant provider or official support; this article does not promise an automatic refund or invent an exception.

Do not assume ETIAS will become mandatory for every covered journey immediately when the system starts. Its legal framework includes transitional and grace arrangements with conditions. Check the official rollout guidance for the actual travel date; a blanket claim that all such details are unknown, or that everyone without an authorisation will immediately be refused, is not reliable planning advice.

What about ESTA and other authorisations?

A US fee change does not predict a UK or EU change. For example, the published CBP notice sets the approved ESTA total at USD 40.62 from 16 October 2026, compared with USD 40.27 at this review. That is a dated change in a separate system. Our ETA versus ESTA comparison explains why destination and eligibility come first.

Avoid building a multi-country budget from undated figures for Canada, Australia or other destinations. Check the relevant official service for each leg rather than assuming every system called ETA has the same eligibility, validity or charges.

Key takeaways

• Use the current GBP 20 UK ETA fee; do not invent a further increase or deadline.
• ETIAS is not collecting applications at this review; EUR 20 is its published fee, not something to pay now.
• Check all fee and eligibility exemptions, including qualifying family-member rules.
• Keep family budgets conditional and currencies separate.
• Check passport renewal, existing permission and official rollout rules before buying anything.