Comparing visa costs around the world (for UK passport holders)

Planning a trip abroad often involves more than booking flights and hotels. For many popular destinations, you also need to factor in visa fees if you’re travelling with a UK passport.

Visa costs can vary widely depending on where you're going and how you apply. Some countries charge just a nominal fee, while others can add substantially to your holiday spending.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

Wherever you’re heading, knowing what to expect in visa fees helps you budget more accurately and avoid surprises.

Different types of visas and their fees

Each country makes its own visa rules. Entry requirements are usually based on the passport you’re travelling with, how long you want to stay in the country, and your reason for visiting.

The most common visa arrangements for international travel are:

Visa-free travel to the European Union

As a result of Brexit, changes to entry rules for the Schengen Area and most EU countries are coming into force for Brits. Once the new systems are implemented, you’ll need an ETIAS travel authorisation to visit, even for short stays. The fee will be around £6.

The ETIAS scheme has been postponed, but it’s predicted to be launched in late 2026. To get your travel authorisation, you’ll need to apply online. Once approved, it’ll be electronically linked to your UK passport.

Only trips to Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania will be exempt from the new requirement. Fortunately, your ETIAS will be valid for multiple trips over 3 years, so last-minute trips to the continent won’t be a thing of the past.

Why are some visas more expensive than others?

Much like the rules on who needs a visa, how much they cost is up to the country in question. Prices can vary considerably around the world, even for short-stay visas for tourism or business.

Often, visa fees are based on reciprocity. For example, the United States charges UK visitors for an ESTA, so the UK imposes a similar travel authorisation with an entry fee for American travellers.

This initiative, known as the UK ETA, was recently launched by the British government in a move to digitalise entry systems. It costs £10 per application, and is now needed for all visa-free visitors to the UK.

Australian, EU, and Japanese citizens, amongst others, now have to pay the entry levy. In response, these countries may adjust their own visa costs or entry rules for Brits.

However, in places where tourism is a top source of income, like Thailand or Cambodia, visa costs are usually kept low to attract as many visitors as possible.

🔻 Top 5 lowest tourist visa fees for UK citizens

🔺 Top 5 highest tourist visa fees for UK citizens

Visa processing and admin costs

Beyond reciprocal relationships, some visas simply cost more to process.

To travel to China and Russia, British citizens need an embassy visa. This involves a relatively complex application process, including:

Applicants also need to go to an in-person appointment. This process involves more staff and time than other types of visas, resulting in a higher application fee. Tourist visas for Russia start at around £10 and for China at £110.

The general rule is that digital applications are cheaper, simpler, and faster than traditional visas.

Electronic entry permits like the Indonesia eVisa have a short online form, rather than an in-person visit. This means costs are kept to a minimum (around £30), and you receive a fast response.

If you’re applying at the last minute, some countries offer a rush service for an extra fee that fast-tracks your visa application. This can reduce your waiting time substantially, so it’s worth the additional cost for spontaneous trips.

Length and type of visa

Other factors that affect visa costs include:

The longer or more flexible the visa, the more you’ll usually pay. For instance, Egypt offers both single and multiple-entry eVisa options, with the multi-use pass being more expensive.

If you’re travelling for business or an investment opportunity, visa costs tend to be higher than for tourism or visiting friends and family. The Vietnam tourist E-visa costs around £20 (if you want to stay for up to 90 days), but business visas start at around £100 and require sponsorship and invitation letters.

Best value and most expensive visas for Brits

Depending on which part of the world you’re heading to, you may be able to score a visa bargain. Here’s a look at the most expensive and best value visa fees for international travel with a British passport.

Africa

Visa costs for Brits visiting Africa vary, but easy access to many countries across the continent is increasing. 24 of the 54 African nations now offer eVisas, which is almost three times as many as in 2016.

More than 15 countries, including top destinations like Morocco and South Africa, are free to enter with a UK passport. To pass through controls smoothly, you must meet other entry requirements, like holding a return travel ticket.

Malawi and Mozambique do impose visa-on-arrival fees for British holidaymakers, but they’re still economical, at £8 and £40 respectively.

At the other end of the scale, Nigeria, Ghana, and Algeria’s visa costs are relatively high, ranging from approximately £85 to £130 for tourist visits.

Asia

Most Asian countries have low-cost visas or visa-free entry for UK passport holders. Nepal and Laos offer visas on arrival for short-term visitors, with fees relatively low at around £30.

As the exemption period for UK citizens has come to an end, you now need a K-ETA to visit South Korea. It costs around £6 and allows you to visit multiple times over three years.

The most expensive Asian tourist visa is for China. Application fees start from around £150 and involve an in-person appointment and biometric screening before you travel.

Europe

It’s still possible to travel without any visa costs to European Union countries since Brexit came into effect. Once the ETIAS is introduced, however, it’ll be necessary to pay for the ETIAS travel authorisation fee of around £6 in advance.

Non-EU European countries, like Turkey, Albania, and Montenegro, will likely still be free to enter when travelling with a British passport. You can currently visit visa-free for up to 90 days.

For countries like Russia and Belarus, a traditional tourist visa is needed, costing over £100 on average. Once approved, your visa is usually stamped into your passport.

Middle East

Tourist arrivals to Middle Eastern countries have been steadily increasing over the last decade, possibly thanks in part to generous visa terms for British citizens.

Visa exemptions for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha attract millions of British visitors every year. In fact, UK travellers were the fourth-largest group to visit Dubai in 2023, falling only slightly behind visitors from India, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

Visa on arrival costs for Kuwait and Bahrain are relatively cost-effective, with fees starting from around £30.

Other visas for the Middle East tend to be more costly but include additional extras. The £95 fee for the Saudi Arabia eVisa includes mandatory travel insurance. It’s valid for tourism, business, and Umrah.

North America

Though it’s not free to enter Canada with a UK passport, the Electronic Travel Authorisation works out to be economical over time. It allows multiple visits over 5 years and only costs around £28. Similarly, the US ESTA is priced at around £20 and remains valid for 2 years.

Most Caribbean countries, like Saint Lucia, Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, tend to be visa-free for British citizens. This allows you to stay for around 30 days or less, and also means you can travel via cruise from island to island without getting a permit.

However, some top destinations have other types of entry requirements for visitors, like the Aruba ED Card or Dominican Republic e-Ticket. Most involve a free short online form, which generates a QR code to show on arrival.

Oceania

Prices for entry permits for New Zealand and Australia start from around £35 and allow you to make multiple entries. If you’re planning to start off with a holiday and look for a job once you arrive, make sure you check the visa conditions carefully before you travel.

In most cases, you have to leave the country to apply for a work visa. The New Zealand eTA and the Australia eVisitor visa are designed for tourism and visiting friends and family only.

However, New Zealand authorities recently announced that you can work remotely while visiting with an eTA, making it an affordable option for UK digital nomads.

South America

Almost all South American countries offer visa-free travel for UK holidaymakers on short stays. The only exception is Suriname, which has an entry fee requirement of around £45 to be paid on arrival.

Much like other parts of the world, some countries in South America have other travel documents you have to fill out before you travel. These are usually free to complete. For Colombia, you must submit a Check-Mig form online before you travel.

Peru offers one of the longest periods of visa-free stay – up to 183 days – for British visitors. Border officers usually grant shorter terms of stay, but you can request the maximum at no extra cost as long as your passport has plenty of remaining validity.

Visa tips for holiday budgeting

Getting the right visa for your trip can be costly, but it’s an outlay that buys you guaranteed peace of mind. Not having the right documents can lead to stress, delays, and extra expense on arrival, or could even cost you your holiday in the worst-case scenario.

The best way to make sure you have all the essential travel documents for your trip is to apply with a trusted application service like OnTrailVisa. Our platform helps you easily apply for international visas, electronic travel authorisations, and other entry forms.

We’ve helped hundreds of thousands of travellers from the UK secure entry documents for destinations all over the world, hassle-free. Apply with confidence through our site, knowing you’re getting the correct visa with minimal extra cost.