London for visitors from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands & the EU: entry rules, money, SIMs, where your community is, and getting from the airport (2026)

Written for European visitors by a London private-hire company that collects you from arrivals every day. Prices and rules checked October 2026; entry rules change, so confirm on GOV.UK before you fly.

Entry: ETA or visa?

UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): £20 per person (fee since 8 April 2026), apply on the official UK ETA app or GOV.UK before you fly, valid 2 years for unlimited visits of up to 6 months. Apply 3 working days ahead; most are approved within hours. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are visa-exempt but have needed the £20 ETA since 2 April 2025; an ID card is no longer enough – bring a passport. Irish citizens need nothing.

Money, cards and cash

Britain is almost cashless: contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work in every shop, pub, bus and Tube gate (no ticket needed – just tap the same card in and out). Our cars take cards too, so you need no pounds in hand on arrival. If you want cash, use a bank cash machine (free), not the airport bureau de change. £1 ≈ $1.32 / €1.18 (October 2026).

SIM cards, plugs and the basics

Your driver will show you the SIM kiosks in arrivals, but supermarket SIMs (Tesco, giffgaff, Lebara, Lyca – £10–£15 for 20–50 GB) are cheaper; eSIMs can be bought before you fly. Plugs are the 3-pin UK Type G at 230 V – bring one adapter per device. We drive on the left; the emergency number is 999 (or 112); tap water is safe; tipping is 10–12.5% in restaurants (often already added), not expected in taxis, pubs or shops.

Arriving at the airport: what we do for European visitors

Your driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board the moment you clear passport control and customs; we track the flight and the first 60 minutes after landing are free. Fixed fares to central London: Heathrow from £85, Gatwick from £85, Stansted from £85, Luton from £85 – one price for the whole car, no surge, child seats on request. Tell us when you book if you need a SIM, cash, a pharmacy or a halal/kosher/vegetarian meal on the way and the driver will stop. Heathrow · Gatwick · Stansted · Luton.

Where the European community is

South Kensington is “Little Paris” (Lycée, Bute Street bakeries); Germans around Richmond and Petersham (Deutsche Schule); Italians in Clerkenwell and Soho; Spanish in Portobello and Ladbroke Grove; Poles in Ealing and Balham; Portuguese in Stockwell (Little Portugal).

Food from home

Bakeries on Bute Street, Comptoir Gascon, Bocca di Lupo and Padella for pasta, Brindisa and Barrafina for tapas, German Gymnasium at King’s Cross, Dutch pancakes at My Old Dutch, Polish at Daquise and Ognisko.

Places of worship

Catholic churches (Westminster Cathedral, Brompton Oratory, St Patrick’s Soho), Lutheran (St Mary’s, Sandwich Street), Notre Dame de France (Leicester Square), St Peter’s Italian Church (Clerkenwell).

Embassy and consular help

Embassies are mostly in Belgravia and Mayfair: Germany (23 Belgrave Square), France (58 Knightsbridge), Italy (14 Three Kings Yard), Spain (39 Chesham Place), Netherlands (38 Hyde Park Gate). Lost passport: report to the police (101) and your embassy; we can take you there.

Good to know

Eurostar arrives at St Pancras (we meet you at the top of the arrivals ramp); Ryanair and easyJet use Stansted, Luton and Gatwick, where the train into town is slow at night – a fixed fare to your hotel is often cheaper for two. EU roaming on UK networks ended for most EU plans – check before you land. Driving licences are valid; remember the left and the Congestion Charge.

Next steps

Airport transfers · London food & shopping guide with prices · All visitor guides · Rushxo for Business. Get a fixed-price quote →