How much does a UK ETA cost?
£20 to the Home Office. That is the whole official price, and you can pay it yourself.
The official fee
A UK Electronic Travel Authorisation costs £20 per person, paid to the Home Office. The fee rose from £16 to £20 on 8 April 2026. There is no application centre charge, no biometrics appointment and no health surcharge — £20 is the entire government cost, and it is the same whether you apply on GOV.UK or in the official UK ETA app.
One ETA covers unlimited trips for 2 years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Each traveller needs their own, including babies.
Checked against GOV.UK guidance on 2026-08-28.
What we charge on top, and why
| Item | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Official Home Office fee | £20 | UK Home Office |
| Our service fee (optional) | £29 | UK ETA Gateway |
| Total through us | £49 | — |
| Total if you apply yourself | £20 | UK Home Office |
We never mark up the government fee. We pay the £20 to the Home Office on your behalf and it appears as a separate line on your receipt, so you can see exactly what went where.
If you see a lower price, check the date
Plenty of sites still advertise the UK ETA at £10 or £16. Those were the launch and interim fees; both are obsolete. A site quoting them has not been updated since before 8 April 2026, which tells you something about the rest of its advice.
Is the fee refundable?
The Home Office fee is not refundable, including when an application is refused — that is government policy and no agency can change it. Our own fee is governed by our refund policy, and we return it if we fail to file correctly.