Vienna-based motorists’ association ÖAMTC has alerted travellers that the United Kingdom will increase the price of its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from £ 16 to £ 20 as of 8 April 2026—a 25 % hike only six months after the scheme became mandatory for EU citizens. The ETA is required even for short business trips or some airside transfers where border control occurs; failure to hold a valid approval can lead to denied boarding. While the price difference appears modest, the jump comes amid post-Brexit inflation in ancillary travel costs such as biometric enrolment at UK Visa Application Centres and mandatory health-surcharge payments for longer assignments. A family of four flying Vienna–London now faces £ 16 extra in application fees, plus potential charges if they use third-party agencies offering “fast-track” filing services. The Foreign Ministry recommends applying at least 72 hours before departure, as background checks may flag past immigration or criminal-record issues. Business-travel managers should build the higher fee into trip budgets and remind frequent travellers that an ETA is valid for two years or until passport expiry—whichever comes first. Carriers may still require proof during a technical stop even if the traveller never exits the airside area, complicating multi-segment itineraries via British hubs. The UK move is part of a broader global trend toward revenue-raising electronic permits: ESTA fees for the United States rose in 2025 and Canada is reviewing an increase to its eTA later this year. With the EU’s own ETIAS scheme scheduled to launch in late 2026, Austrian corporates should audit their travel-approval workflows to ensure travellers are not caught by surprise by cascading digital-permit costs.
Source: Vienna.at
