UK decides against charging foreign visitors for museums

The UK government said on Tuesday that national museums would remain free for foreign visitors, after previously floating the idea of charging tourists an entry fee to buoy the cash-strapped sector.

Access to permanent collections at national museums such as London’s British Museum and National Gallery has been free for the millions of tourists who visit every year since 2001, unlike at many European and international counterparts.

The government announced in March it would explore the idea of charging foreign visitors to boost funding.

But after months of consultation, the culture ministry decided against the move, saying it could risk deterring domestic visitors as well as a result.

The government believes the “impacts and benefits of charging would not be felt equally across the sector and therefore will not introduce charges for overseas visitors”, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said.

The ministry noted that national museums contribute more than one billion pounds ($1.3 billion) to the economy every year.

“It’s great news that the government has committed to continuing to keep museums free for everyone,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan said.

Last year, 7.1 million people visited the Natural History Museum in London and 6.4 million the British Museum — which is currently hosting a landmark exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry, on loan for the first time from France.

Museums charge visitors for entry to temporary exhibitions.

According to government figures from 2023–2024, 43 percent of visitors to national museums were foreigners.