UK ETA Fee Rises to £20: What UAE Residents Should Know

11

Aug

• By Visa Doctor
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What actually changed

On 8 April 2026 the UK Home Office raised the Electronic Travel Authorisation fee from £16 to £20 per applicant. It is the second increase since the scheme launched, the fee started at £10 when the ETA was introduced in 2023 and rose to £16 in April 2025. The Home Office says the fee “is kept under review,” and cited rising administrative costs and investment in border security technology as the reason for the latest change, so a further increase later is possible.

The new £20 rate applies to every application filed on or after 8 April 2026. Applications submitted before that date were charged at the previous £16 rate and are not affected retroactively. The fee is charged per traveller regardless of age, infants and children each need their own ETA and their own separate payment, and it is non refundable even if the application is refused or the trip does not go ahead. An approved ETA is valid for multiple trips to the UK over two years, or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever comes first, so most travellers only pay it once every couple of years.

Who actually needs a UK ETA, and who still needs a visa

An ETA is not a visa. It is a digital permission to travel that lets people who do not already need a UK visa enter the country for short stays of up to six months. UAE nationals and other GCC nationals were among the first groups brought into the scheme, alongside EU, US, Canadian, Australian and several dozen other passport holders. If you hold one of these passports and are travelling from Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE for a short visit, an ETA is what you need, confirm your own passport’s status on our UK eVisa and ETA explainer or on gov.uk before you fly.

The confusion we see most often at our Dubai office is residents assuming the ETA applies to them simply because they live in the UAE. Eligibility is based on passport nationality, not country of residence. Most of the nationalities that make up the UAE’s resident population, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Filipino, Egyptian, Nigerian and Jordanian passport holders, are UK visa nationals. They are not eligible for an ETA at any price and must apply for a full UK visit visa before travelling, a process that involves biometrics, supporting documents and a decision that can take several weeks. See which nationalities need a UK visa in 2026 and who needs a UK visa for the fuller picture, and our dedicated guide for GCC nationals comparing the ETA and the visa route.

How to apply for a UK ETA the right way

Apply through the official UK ETA app or directly on gov.uk. Most applicants receive an automatic decision within minutes, though the Home Office recommends applying at least three working days before travel in case your case needs further review. You will need to pay the fee, provide contact and passport details, upload a compliant photo and answer suitability and criminality questions. You must then travel on the same passport you used to apply.

Be careful where you apply. The Home Office has explicitly warned that “other application services may charge a higher fee than the UK Government,” and unofficial websites that mimic the official look continue to target travellers searching for UK ETA online. Only use the official app or gov.uk, and if you believe you have been targeted by a fraudulent site, that can be reported through gov.uk directly.

If you need a full UK visit visa instead

If your passport is not ETA eligible, the fee increase above is not the change that affects your trip, what matters is your visa application itself. A UK visit visa application from Dubai requires a booking with the visa application centre, biometrics, and a document set that typically covers your Emirates ID and residence visa, bank statements, an employment letter or trade licence if you are self employed, and a clear travel itinerary. Processing can take several weeks, so it needs to start well before your travel date, not the week before. Our guide to UK visa requirements and costs from Dubai and our visa document checklist generator are good starting points, and our passport travel index shows how your specific passport is treated by the UK and other destinations at a glance.

How Visa Doctor helps

We review your passport and residency status first and tell you honestly whether you need an ETA or a full visa, before you spend anything. For visa nationals, we prepare and check your document set against what UK Visas and Immigration actually asks for, so your application is not delayed or refused over something avoidable like a missing bank statement or an inconsistent itinerary. If you are also planning European travel around the same trip, our visa cost calculator and visa approval chance calculator can help you plan the whole route, and our UK visa service page has the full list of what we handle for Dubai and Abu Dhabi based applicants.

Related reading: If you are also planning European travel this year, see our guides on whether Sri Lankan citizens need a Schengen visa from the UAE and why Schengen visas get refused for weak ties.

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Frequently asked questions

Does the UK ETA fee increase affect Indian, Pakistani or Filipino residents applying from Dubai?

No. Those nationalities are UK visa nationals, not ETA eligible, so they were never charged the ETA fee and are not affected by this change. They apply for a full UK visit visa instead, which has its own separate fee.

How much is a UK ETA in AED?

The official fee is set in pounds sterling at £20 per traveller. The AED amount your bank charges depends on the exchange rate and any conversion fee applied on the day you pay, so check the exact figure on your card statement or with gov.uk rather than relying on a fixed conversion.

Can I still apply for a UK ETA if I already hold a Schengen or US visa?

Holding a visa for another country has no bearing on UK ETA eligibility. Eligibility depends only on your passport nationality and whether the UK has classed it as a non visa national passport for short visits.

What happens if my ETA application is refused?

You will be told the reason for the refusal and you cannot appeal it. If you still want to travel to the UK, you would need to apply for a visa instead, which is a different and more detailed process.

Do infants and children need their own UK ETA?

Yes. Every traveller who is ETA eligible needs their own individual ETA and their own separate £20 payment, regardless of age.

Last reviewed August 2026. Visa rules, fees and processing times change frequently. Always confirm current requirements on the official government or consulate website before booking travel. Visa Doctor is a licensed private service provider (SPC Free Zone 4417571.01) and is not a government authority; we do not issue visas.