England’s National Museums Will Stay Free for Everyone, Including Overseas Visitors

Walk into the British Museum or the Natural History Museum on any given day and you can see the Rosetta Stone or a blue whale skeleton without paying a penny. There was a recent proposal to limit the free-entry policy to domestic visitors only and charge those visiting from abroad. However, the government has confirmed that England’s national museums will stay free for everyone who walks in, including overseas visitors.

These are some of the most visited places in the country. Last year the Natural History Museum drew 7.1 million people and the British Museum 6.4 million. Between them, they add more than a billion pounds a year to the economy.

The free-entry question had been open since late 2025. Responding to Baroness Hodge’s review of Arts Council England, the government had said it would look at whether charging overseas visitors could ease the money pressures on museums. It consulted museums, tourism representatives and local leaders.

The answer, set out by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, was no. “The government believes that charging overseas visitors could deter domestic visitors and that the impacts and benefits of charging would not be felt equally across the sector,” it said, “and therefore will not introduce charges for overseas visitors.”

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy announced the decision at Tate Liverpool, and museum leaders have welcomed it. Gabriele Finaldi, who runs the National Gallery, was among them. “Free entry to national museums is one of the UK’s greatest cultural assets,” he said. “It enables millions to visit, enjoy, and learn.”

National museums have offered free admission since 2001. The government had already committed £760 million for museums through the £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund, expanded in January. That allocation includes £600 million for infrastructure at national museums and other DCMS-backed cultural organisations, and £160 million for local and regional museums. The government will also work with Arts Council England and the sector on a longer-term plan for museums.