In 2026, the era of frictionless visa-free travel is over. Visa-waiver nationals now need digital pre-approval before they can board Fact. The US, UK, EU, New Zealand and others have each built their own ETA gatekeeping — and the fees only move in one direction.
2026 global ETA snapshot
| Country | System | Status | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | ESTA | Live | $40.27 |
| UK | ETA | Fully mandatory | £20 |
| EU | ETIAS | Starts Q4 2026 · not open yet | €20 |
| Korea | K-ETA | 22 countries waived ~2026.12 | KRW 10,000 |
| New Zealand | NZeTA | Live (since 2019) | See official site |
Borders now collect your data
ETA systems are not just admin paperwork. The US is pushing to require five years of social media history in ESTA applications Estimate. Every country uses pre-arrival data to profile travelers — and the scope is only expanding.
Entry control as a revenue stream
The US ESTA fee jumped from $21 to $40.27; the UK ETA rose from £10 to £20 in stages Fact. Add the EU ETIAS (€20) and a multi-destination trip to the US, UK and Europe means over $100 in ETA fees alone. More countries are expected to adopt the same model Estimate.
Korea: waive the fee, keep the data
Korea temporarily waived K-ETA for 22 countries through 31 December 2026 to boost inbound tourism Fact. But the e-Arrival Card (digital entry declaration) still applies — data collection continues in parallel. It is a hybrid approach: remove the friction, keep the footprint. Note: this is an inbound policy. Korean nationals traveling to the UK, EU or US still need separate ETAs for each Fact.