United Kingdom: ETA rise adds to travel bill

The landscape of travel formalities in the UK is undergoing another price shake-up. After the gradual introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)The UK Home Office has just announced a significant increase in the cost of this digital permit, which has become essential for many visa-exempt visitors.

From April 9, 2025, the ETA application fee will rise from £10 to £16. (19 €), an increase of almost 60%. An announcement made on March 19 and is sure to raise questions and reactions from travelers and industry professionals alike.

As a reminder, the ETA is an electronic travel authorization introduced by the UK as part of a reform of its immigration system aimed at making it "more streamlined, digital, fast and secure". It is aimed at nationals of countries who do not currently require a visa for short-term stays, or who do not already benefit from UK immigration status.

Eligible non-Europeans were already obliged to do so, and from April 2, 2025, this requirement will be extended to European citizens. THE ETA, although it is not a visa and does not authorize entry to the UK per seis a digital permission to travel to the country, valid for multiple stays of up to 6 months over a 2-year period, or until passport expiry, whichever comes first. Without this prior authorization, travellers risk being denied boarding, regardless of the mode of transport used: air, ferry or land.

Additional annual revenues of £269 million

This rate increase, initially scheduled for January 2025is justified by the British government on the grounds that it is necessary to ensure the "safety and security of our customers".financial viability of the border security system". The stated aim is to make visitors contribute more to the costs of processing their applications and to border control services, thereby reducing the dependence of the migration and border system on the taxpayer. The Ministry of the Interior estimates that this measure will generate additional annual revenues of £269 millionThis is part of a global trend, with the UK citing the example of countries such as the USA and Australia, which have already introduced similar systems. This is part of a global trend, with the UK citing countries such as the USA and Australia as examples of countries that have already introduced similar systems.

However, the decision has not met with unanimous approval. Airlines and travel industry players have expressed serious concerns about the potential impact of this increase on the UK's attractiveness as a tourist destination. Willie WalshGeneral Manager of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said that this measure could ".a blow to the UK's tourism competitiveness“. Tim Aldersladegeneral manager ofAirlines UKHe went on to stress the importance of air connectivity to the country's economic growth, where tourism contributes £74 billion a year and supports over 1.7 million jobs. The fear is that this increase, however modest in absolute terms, could dissuade cost-conscious travelers, particularly for short stays or business trips, in favor of destinations perceived as less onerous in terms of entry formalities.

It is pertinent to compare the new UK ETA tariff with the costs of existing electronic travel authorizations elsewhere in the world. L'American ESTAfor example, currently costs $21 (around £17) and is valid for 2 years. L'Canadian eTA is 7 Canadian dollars (about £4) and is valid for 5 years. As for the future European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), scheduled for launch in 2026, will cost 7 euros (around £6) and be valid for three years.

While the UK ETA becomes more expensive than the ETIAS, critics point out that the latter will allow travel to 29 European countries, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, offering a much wider geographical scope than the UK authorization, which is limited to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Note to our customers: For those planning a trip to the UK after April 9, 2025 and who are already eligible for ETA (including EU nationals from April 2), it might be wise to anticipate their request before the deadline in order to benefit from the current £10 rate.. It is imperative to travel with the same passport as the one used for the application, and note that ETA fees are non-refundable.

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