Entrance Fee To UK

Did they also tell you had to swear allegiance to the Monarchy when you arrived?!!? There is a VAT tax but it's a value added tax on goods and services. NOTHING to do with arrival and departure.

I had to pay an exit tax in Costa Rica, but not in the UK.

No tax for Europe but there are other countries that do charge entry and exit taxes - generally not both. All western European countries are tax free for getting in or out.

If someone is from a country that does not participate in the British visa waiver program (and the US does), then there is a $120-ish fee for getting a visa. If you are traveling on an American passport, there is no fee for the visa. What your family may have been mentioning is that there is there are a variety of governmental fees that are rolled up in your ticket price. For example, I just looked at a sample fare to LHR with a total price of $931.40 Within that $931.40, the actual fare is only $266. $438.00 is a fuel surcharge from the airline and the rest of it is: US International Departure Tax (US) $16.70 US September 11th Security Fee (AY) $7.50 US Passenger Facility Charge (XF) $13.50 USDA APHIS Fee (XA) $5.00 US Immigration Fee (XY) $7.00 US Customs Fee (YC) $5.50 United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty (GB) $101.60 United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge (UB) $53.90 US International Arrival Tax (US) $16.70
Your family may be pointing out the $101.60 fee charged to people leaving the UK. It's a standard charge and there's no reasonable way to avoid it without departing from another country.

Thanks all for the great advice! My parents went to Costa Rica a few times, so that is probably why they brought it up. I feel a lot better now.

I had to pay an exit fee to leave Brazil, in cash upon departure at the airport. But I've never had to do this in Europe, and I'm not aware of any European country that does this. As said, any fees you owe are incorporated into the price of your airline ticket.

' I'm not aware of any European country that does this' Turkey $20 Belarus $450 Other commonly visted countries that stiff you for a visa/entry/exit/processing/reciprocity fee: Argentina ($150), China ($200), Australia ($40). Amounts are from memory and may be off a tad. Alex's family had the right idea, it just didn't apply to the UK.

If you get upgraded (or use miles to upgrade) on your departure flight from the UK you have to pay the 'additional/higher' tax that would have been charged on the first class/business class ticket as if you had paid for it in full- and they don't tell you this until you check in for departure. We've had to do this several times. They do take credit cards, though.

Here in Israel, there is a departure tax, as in many other countries. If you fly out, it is included in the price of your airline ticket so you aren't aware of it, but if you leave by land, you have to pay it separately at the border.