European travelers visiting the UK without a visa will soon be subject to a tourist tax of $13, effective from 2025.
According to CNN on Friday (September 13, 2024), this new rule will expand the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system to cover travelers from all countries, including European Union citizens. Under the plan announced by UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the fee will apply to all visitors, including infants and children, who do not have a visa or permission in the UK.
Currently, citizens from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are required to apply for an ETA before entering the UK. This requirement will be expanded in November to include most other nationals, such as those from the US, though European citizens will not be included at that point.
By the following spring, the program will be extended to include European citizens.
Once fully implemented, the ETA scheme will fill the current gap in pre-travel authorization and, for the first time, provide the government with a comprehensive understanding of who is traveling to the UK.
Visa waiver schemes like this are not new. The US introduced its Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in 2009, with a current fee of $21, valid for two years.
Meanwhile, the launch of the European Union’s ETIAS program, which will be valid for three years and cost travelers 7 euros, has been delayed until 2025.