If you’re planning a road trip to the UK, there’s a new line item to add to the budget spreadsheet before you even reach the Channel: the ETA. It’s quick, it’s mostly painless, and — depending on how many people are in your van — it’s also quietly turned into a real cost. Here’s what it actually is, what it costs, and what it means if you’re traveling with kids.

What is the UK ETA?

The ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is a digital entry permit the UK now requires from visitors who previously needed nothing more than a passport to cross the border. It’s not a visa — no interview, no supporting documents, usually approved within minutes to a few days — but it is mandatory, and it is checked before you’re even allowed to board a ferry, flight, or Eurotunnel train.

When was it introduced?

The scheme didn’t appear overnight — it rolled out in stages:

• October 2023: Launch, initially for a small number of nationalities
• April 2025: Extended to EU citizens, with the fee raised from £10 to £16
• 25 February 2026: Full enforcement for all non-visa nationals — carriers are no longer allowed to let you board without a valid ETA
• 8 April 2026: Fee raised again, from £16 to £20

So in under three years, the fee has doubled. Worth keeping in mind if you’re budgeting based on something you read a year ago.

How much does it cost?

As of now, a UK ETA costs £20 per person — and that’s per person, not per family. There’s no group rate, no sibling discount, no “kids go free” clause anywhere in the system. Everyone travelling needs their own ETA, linked to their own passport, paid for individually.

For a family of three — say, two adults and one child — that’s:

3 × £20 = £60, just to be allowed to cross the border, before you’ve booked a single ferry ticket, filled the tank, or paid for a single night’s stay.

And that £20 is non-refundable. Get a detail wrong, get refused, or simply change your mind about the trip, and the Home Office keeps the fee regardless.

Does it work differently for children?

Not really — and that’s arguably the part worth knowing before you assume otherwise. Every child, including babies, needs their own individual ETA application, linked to their own passport. There’s no bundling children onto a parent’s application and no reduced fee for minors. A parent or guardian completes the application on the child’s behalf, including the same background questions asked of adults (criminal history, immigration history, health), which in practice are just formalities for a toddler but still have to be answered.

The one concession for young children is a slightly relaxed photo requirement — you’re not expected to get a passport-perfect neutral expression out of a one-year-old. Beyond that, the process, the price, and the paperwork are identical to an adult’s.

How long is it valid, and how many times can you enter?

Once approved, the ETA is valid for two years, or until the linked passport expires — whichever comes first. During that window, you can enter the UK as many times as you like; there’s no cap on the number of trips, and each visit can last up to six months.

The catch: if your passport gets renewed or replaced before the two years are up (which happens fairly often with children’s passports, given they’re typically only valid for five years), the ETA becomes invalid along with it. New passport means a new ETA application — and a new £20 fee — even if the old one technically still had time left on it.

Is it worth it?

For what it does — a quick digital check before you board — the ETA works about as smoothly as these systems tend to. The approval process itself is genuinely fast for most travelers. Where it gets harder to feel entirely enthusiastic is the pricing structure: a flat per-person fee with no family consideration, applied to a two-year window that can be cut short by something as routine as a child’s passport renewal, and a fee that has already increased twice since 2023.

If you’re planning a UK trip with your family, the practical takeaway is simple: apply early, apply for everyone individually, and factor the full per-head cost into your travel budget rather than assuming it’ll be a rounding error.

Entry requirements and fees can change — always check the current rules on gov.uk before you book.