If you're planning a visit to the United Kingdom, getting an Electronic Travel Authorisation, or ETA for short, needs to be high on your travel to-do list. While the ETA requirement has technically been in effect for over a year, authorities have been somewhat flexible on enforcing it. As of Feb. 25, that leniency is ending. If you don't have one, you won't be able to enter the U.K.
On top of that, the cost of getting one is going to increase in the near future. Right now, an ETA costs 16 British pounds (about $22) per traveler, but according to U.K. officials, that cost is going to rise to 20 British pounds (about $27) at some point. Officials gave no specific date for when the increase could take place.
One notable aspect of the ETA to consider is that once you get one, it's good for two years (or until your passport expires). That means if you're a frequent visitor to London, you're covered for several trips. So even if you don't have any concrete plans to visit the U.K. anytime soon, it's worth getting one now because it covers you for the next two years, at a lower price.
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