If you’re a Malaysian getting ready to apply for your UK ETA, here’s the number you actually came for: the base fee starts at £30, which comes to roughly RM 171 once the transaction charge is included. Depending on how fast you need your approval, you can also choose Urgent processing at £59 (~RM 336) or Instant processing at £99 (~RM 563).
That’s the short version. Here’s the full breakdown of all three tiers, what you’re actually paying for at each level, and why the RM figure isn’t a fixed number.
The Three UK ETA Processing Tiers
UKETA offers three speeds of processing, and the fee difference comes down entirely to turnaround time, not a better chance of approval or a different application form.
| Tier | Fee (GBP) | Approx. Fee (RM)* | Turnaround | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | £30 | ~RM 171 | Within 24 hours | Mon–Fri, 9:00am–6:00pm |
| Urgent | £59 | ~RM 336 | Within 6 hours | 24/7, Mon–Sun |
| Instant | £99 | ~RM 563 | Within 15 minutes | 24/7, Mon–Sun |
*RM figures include the 4.40% transaction charge and are based on the mid-July 2026 exchange rate. Expect small daily variation — see the currency section below.
All three tiers carry the same 4.40% transaction charge on top of the base fee. That charge applies whether you pick Regular, Urgent, or Instant, so it’s not something you can avoid by choosing the slower option — it’s built into the payment processing itself, not a penalty for speed.
Which Tier Actually Makes Sense for You
- Regular is the right call if you’re applying at least a few days ahead of travel and don’t need a same-day answer. It’s also the only tier restricted to weekday business hours, so a Friday evening application won’t move until Monday.
- Urgent suits travelers who are within a day or two of departure and want certainty without paying for the fastest possible turnaround. Because it runs 24/7, you’re not stuck waiting for a weekday to start the clock.
- Instant is for people who genuinely need an answer right now — booking a flight today, at the airport, or otherwise out of runway. It costs more than triple the Regular fee, so it’s worth it only when the time pressure is real.
If you’re not sure which speed you need, our processing time and fees guide goes into more detail on what typically causes delays and how far ahead you should realistically apply.
Why the Ringgit Amount Moves Around
The fee itself is set in British Pounds. What changes day to day is the exchange rate used to convert that into Ringgit.
As of mid-July 2026, £1 was trading at roughly RM 5.45 on the mid-market rate. Combined with the 4.40% transaction charge, that’s how the approximate RM figures above are calculated. But two things mean your actual checkout total could land slightly differently:
- The exchange rate moves daily, sometimes by a few sen per Pound, sometimes more.
- Your bank or card issuer may apply its own margin on top of the rate used at checkout, separate from the 4.40% transaction charge already built into the fee.
If you want the precise number, the most reliable way is to look at the total shown on the application platform right before you confirm payment — that’s calculated using the live rate at that exact moment, not an estimate from an article written days or weeks earlier.
Is the Fee Per Person?
Yes. Every traveler on a Malaysian passport needs their own ETA and their own payment, regardless of the tier chosen or the traveler’s age. There’s no shared family rate — a family of four pays the fee four times over, and each person can technically choose a different tier depending on whose plans are more time-sensitive.
If you’re applying for multiple family members at once, our guide to UK ETA costs for families walks through how the total adds up, since it’s easy to underbudget when you’re only thinking about the fee for one traveler. Traveling with children specifically also has its own considerations, covered in our UK ETA for children guide.
What’s Included Beyond the Base Fee
Applying through UKETA means your payment covers more than just the authorization itself. It includes document checks and application review before submission, which matters because a small error — a typo in your passport number, a mismatched date — can lead to a rejected application, meaning you lose that fee entirely and have to reapply from scratch.
Our full cost breakdown explains exactly what’s covered at each stage, if you want the complete picture beyond just the headline number.
Payment Methods and What to Expect at Checkout
You can pay by credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, and the total — base fee plus the 4.40% transaction charge — is shown to you in RM before you confirm anything. You’re not left guessing at a GBP number and converting it yourself. Our payment methods guide walks through the checkout flow step by step.
Once you submit and pay, the fee is generally non-refundable, even if the application isn’t approved. That makes it worth double-checking every detail before you hit submit rather than rushing, particularly if you’ve chosen Instant and won’t have time to fix a mistake before your flight. If something does go wrong, our refund and cancellation policy explains what is and isn’t recoverable.
A Quick Checklist Before You Pay
Regardless of which tier you choose, have these ready before you start the form:
- A passport valid for at least six months from your planned UK arrival date
- A recent photo meeting the size and background requirements — see our photo requirements guide if you’re unsure what qualifies
- A working email address you check regularly, since your approval notice goes there
- Your travel dates roughly planned, even if not fully confirmed
- A payment method ready — card or digital wallet
Sorting these out ahead of time matters more the faster tier you pick. If you’re applying Instant because you’re pressed for time, you don’t want to be searching for a compliant photo mid-application.
Weighing the Cost Against What You Get
Even at the Instant tier, the fee is still small next to what a traditional visa application would cost, and it covers multiple entries into the UK for up to two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. That’s a meaningful stretch of travel flexibility, even at the higher end of the pricing.
If you’re not certain the ETA route is right for your situation versus a full visa, our ETA versus visa comparison breaks down the distinction so you’re applying for the correct thing from the start.
Ready to Apply?
Once your travel dates and documents are sorted, you can start your application and choose the processing tier that fits your timeline — with the exact fee in RM shown at checkout, calculated using the live rate at that moment.
If anything about the fee, the tiers, or your specific situation is still unclear, our FAQ page covers the questions we hear most from Malaysian applicants, or you can reach us directly through our contact page.
