- Peers debated the fee order in the House of Lords on 3 March 2026.
- The child citizenship registration charge fell from £1,214 to £1,000.
- The Certificate of Sponsorship assignment fee, Immigration Health Surcharge and Immigration Skills Charge were unchanged.
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The UK raised the Electronic Travel Authorisation fee by 25%, from £16 to £20, on 8 April 2026. The new charge is in force.
It applies to people who need an ETA to travel to the UK. The Home Office brought the change in with a wider immigration fees package affecting visa, nationality and passport applications.
Visa-free visitors from listed nationalities generally need an ETA
Visitors from nationalities covered by the ETA system who do not need a visa generally must obtain one before travelling. British and Irish citizens are exempt, as are people who already have a UK visa or permission to live, work or study in the country.
Some other exemptions apply. They include people who live in Ireland and travel to the UK from Ireland, as well as passengers transiting airside without passing through UK border control. The ETA requirement is not the same as a visa application.
The fee order cleared the way for a separate charge change
The legal steps came in sequence. On 3 March 2026, the House of Lords debated the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order, which raised the maximum charge that could be set for an ETA. The change to the amount applicants pay came through separate fees legislation, and the package took effect on 8 April 2026.
A minister told peers the order itself did not change the charges applicants paid:
“the actual fee levels that are to be charged for those seeking to enter or remain in the UK are not being changed in this order.”
The government said the order would make later fee changes possible. Its stated aim was to bring in revenue for migration and border operations, reduce dependence on general taxation and support government priorities.
The debate also focused on whether the ETA increase could affect tourism. Lord Cameron of Lochiel asked: “Has any assessment been made of the impact on visitor numbers? Why was £20 judged the appropriate level?” He raised concerns about possible effects on tourism, including in Northern Ireland.
A minister said the government had discussed potential effects with the Northern Ireland tourist board. The minister also said: “I genuinely do not believe that a £20 fee is going to deter someone from visiting the great city of Belfast, the Mountains of Mourne or the Giant’s Causeway, or, in a wider UK context, from visiting London and seeing all the sites that we have here.”
The package raised most listed charges but cut child registration
The ETA rise was part of a broader set of price changes. Selected examples include:
| Application or service | Previous fee | New fee from 8 April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard visitor visa, up to 6 months | £127 | £135 |
| Student visa | £524 | £558 |
| Adult naturalisation | £1,605 | £1,709 |
| Settlement, indefinite leave to remain | £3,029 | £3,226 |
| Child citizenship registration | £1,214 | £1,000 |
| Adult passport, online | £94.50 | £102 |
The reduction in the child registration charge stands out among the selected examples. Most immigration application charges rose, while the child citizenship fee fell by 18%. Passport charges also rose; the online adult passport price increased by 8%.
Several charges did not change in this package. The Certificate of Sponsorship assignment fee, Immigration Health Surcharge and Immigration Skills Charge remained at their previous levels.
The government’s rationale is that people using the immigration system should shoulder a greater share of its operating costs, rather than relying as heavily on general taxpayer funding. The package covered applications made inside and outside the UK, across work, study, visitor, nationality and sponsorship categories.
People planning a visa, citizenship or passport application can check the department’s immigration and nationality fee schedule for the listed charges and later updates.
