Since 8th January 2025, citizens of Singapore, along with those from countries like Malaysia, Australia, Canada, the USA and South Korea, have been required to apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in order to enter the UK.

This month the scheme has also expanded to include most European Union nationals too – so do be aware if you have a passport from countries like France, Germany and Spain – you’re also now in the same boat.

This mandatory permit has been priced at £10 (~S$17) since its inception, and those who need one – including children and babies – have been able to apply and pay this rate since applications opened back in November 2024.

However, last month we reported on the news that the cost of an ETA is being hiked by 60% for applications made from 9th April 2025, so it’s a good idea for those affected to lock in one of these two-year visa waiver authorisations by 8th April 2025 at the latest, to benefit from the lower fee.

That gives you just three more days to act and get a significant saving, especially for families.

UK ETA cost increasing

The UK Government has announced a fee hike for UK ETA applications, which will take effect around a few days from now – on 9th April 2025.

From 9 April, it will cost £16 to apply for an ETA.

UK Government

That means for applications from 9th April 2025 onwards, the cost is rising by 60%, from £10 (~S$17) to £16 (~S$28) per person.

This brings the cost of an ETA almost exactly in line with that of the S$28 ESTA, also a two-year visa waiver approval, for those visiting the USA.

Since the UK ETA is payable by all visitors, including children and babies, the fee hike will hit families the most, with the cost increasing from around S$68 currently for a family of four to around S$112 for applications made from 9th April 2025.

Even if you’re not taking a trip to the UK soon, but will do so over the next two years, it’s therefore a good idea to apply for an ETA on or before 8th April 2025, in order to pay the current rate.

An ETA issued on 8th April 2025, the final day you can apply at the current £10 (~S$17) fee will allow you to take multiple trips to the UK until 8th April 2027.

Do be careful if your passport is expiring in the meantime though – your ETA is not transferable to a new passport and so you’ll have to reapply and pay again in this case (don’t pay twice, unnecessarily!).

UK ETA: Key points

Here’s a recap on how the UK ETA works.

• Loosely modelled on the US ESTA system.
• Not a visa – but merely a travel authorisation, issued to those already eligible to enter the UK visa-free, including Singapore citizens travelling for tourism visits or work trips.
• Singaporeans can continue to travel to the UK visa-free for up to six months at a time, even now that the ETA is mandatory. It’s just an added complication.
• Cost till 8th April 2025: £10 (~S$17) per person.
• Cost from 9th April 2025: £16 (~S$28) per person.
• No exceptions: Even infants need an ETA.
• Electronically linked to your passport once issued – no paperwork is required and there is no need to carry a confirmation with you.
• Valid for multiple trips over a two-year period from issue, or until your passport expires, whichever comes sooner.
• Transit passengers through UK airports who do not clear immigration are exempt.
• No need to reapply before each trip you take to the UK, nor provide details of any trips you take to the UK, while you hold a valid ETA liked to the same passport.
• Where you start your journey to the UK is irrelevant – only your nationality affects the requirement for an ETA. How you enter the UK is also irrelevant – whether by air, boat or train – an ETA is required.
• Approval takes up to three working days, but most come through within minutes.
• You can travel to the UK if your ETA application has been submitted, but approval is still pending.
• An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK – this is still assessed by border officials on arrival.

See this full list of nationalities that require an ETA – even EU citizens now need one.

Exemptions

British and Irish citizens and individuals who hold a valid UK immigration permission (including some Singaporeans), like an employment visa or long-term study visa, are not required to apply for an ETA before travelling.

Those travelling on a British overseas territories citizen passport or a British National (Overseas) passport also do not require an ETA.

How to apply

Application for an ETA is via one of the following methods:

• The UK ETA app on the Apple app store
• The UK ETA app on Google Play
• The UK government online portal

You will need to upload a photo of yourself and the passport you will use to visit the UK, and answer some questions about yourself, but you will not be asked any questions about your trip.

The following video explains the process, clearly highlighting the mobile app as the UK’s preferred method for submitting your application.

Beware of ‘scam’ websites!

Be cautious of websites that charge extra fees to process an ETA application on your behalf.

Many scam websites, like etauk.co.uk, rank highly in Google search results and charge exorbitant fees – a whopping £78 (~S$136) per person in this example.

We won’t link to the site here – you can easily find it if you’re curious – but suffice to say that it is professionally designed to appear completely legitimate. Only by reading the fine print can you discern that it’s not the official ETA portal – in fact it’s a company based in Dubai.

In fairness, labelling these as “scam” websites might be slightly harsh. In most cases, they will secure a legitimate ETA on your behalf. However, they simply use the official portal to process the application and then charge you many, many times more than the actual cost of doing so.

While this practice isn’t illegal, these companies essentially masquerade as official platforms, then act as intermediaries on your behalf, and charge nearly eight times what you should be paying. Perhaps it’s more aptly described as a “rip-off”.

There’s also the concern of entrusting your personal information, such as passport details and payment information, to these companies, especially if you (understandably) believe them to be the official government application portal.

Surprisingly, even Singapore Airlines partners with a site (visacentral.sg) that charges at least S$45 for a UK ETA application, nearly three times the cost of you doing so directly. However, SIA does also link to the official UK ETA application page a bit further down this page on its website.

Once again, just stick purely to these official application links, there is no need to use an intermediary:

• The UK ETA app on the Apple app store
• The UK ETA app on Google Play
• The UK government online portal

Urgent trips

If you need to travel to the UK urgently, for example due to a family emergency, don’t worry.

Although you must apply for an ETA before you depart, a process that only takes a few minutes, you can then travel to the UK while waiting for a decision, unlike some other schemes like the US ESTA which require advance approval in order for you to be able to board your flight.

If you are in this situation and a quick approval does not come through, you can still travel to the UK.

Remember to use the eGate on arrival

The requirement for an ETA to enter the UK doesn’t change the fact that Singapore citizens are on the list of of 11 non-EU nationalities eligible to use the eGate entry lanes at UK airports.

That means as a Singapore citizen you’ll likely continue to be able to enter the UK without even speaking to an immigration officer at all, even though an ETA is now required.

The UK does not have exit immigration, in common with some other countries including Canada, the USA and Ireland, so it’s just security to worry about at the airport on your way out of the country at the end of your trip – not even an eGate to contend with.

Other countries that require an entry approval

Having a valid entry approval for international travel is starting to become a bit of a juggling act for some travellers, with the UK’s ETA adding to the list of other pre-travel approvals required for Singapore citizens. These now include:

• Australia: ETA
  AU$20 (~S$16)
• Canada: eTA
  C$7 (~S$7)
• New Zealand: NZeTA
  NZ$17 (~S$13), but beware of the additional NZ$100 IVL tax for tourists)
• USA: ESTA
  US$21 (~S$28)

Another complication for Singapore citizens will arise in the last few months of 2026, when the European Union finally rolls out its much-delayed European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a similar advance travel authorisation for those who can arrive visa-free.

You’ll be able to apply for this one via an official website or mobile app in due course, for a fee of EUR7 (~S$10).

ETIAS will allow unlimited entries to Schengen Area countries over a 3-year period, or will expire on the same date as your passport if that comes up sooner.

That means from next year it will be essential for many of our readers to ensure they have a valid UK ETA and EU ETIAS approval at all times, to allow hassle-free trips to (and around) Europe, whenever they wish.

The UK is increasing its ETA fee by 60% from 9th April 2025, so Singaporean travellers planning a trip in the next two years should probably apply before the deadline – i.e. by 8th April 2025 which is Tuesday next week – to lock in the lower £10 (~S$17) rate.

Do remember though, the ETA will expire after two years, or when your passport expires, whichever comes first.

While the ETA remains a simple online application process, and approval is almost always instant, families in particular will feel the pinch of the price hike – so don’t overpay – act now!

Fortunately Singapore citizens can still use the UK’s eGates on arrival at the border, even with this new ETA system in place.

As always, be sure to apply via the official UK ETA app or UK Government app or website, since there are many other sites out there charging additional fees to apply on your behalf – up to eight times the actual amount in some cases!

(Cover Photo: Lachlan Gowan)