The Government has confirmed that universal free admission to national museums in England will continue for all visitors. This decision means that plans to explore charging overseas visitors will not proceed.
Earlier this year, the government had committed to working with the museum and tourism sectors, and local leaders, to investigate whether charging overseas visitors could support museum finances. This was part of the response to Baroness Hodge’s review of Arts Council England, published in December 2025.
However, the government believes that such charges could deter domestic visitors and that the impacts and benefits would not be felt equally across the sector. Free entry to museums was first introduced in 2001.
National museums contribute more than £1 billion annually to the economy. In 2025, the Natural History Museum saw 7.1 million visitors, while the British Museum had 6.4 million. Seven of the UK’s ten most visited museums are national museums.
Funding for the sector includes £760 million from the £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund for museums, and £600 million in infrastructure funding for national museums and DCMS-sponsored cultural organisations. An additional £160 million is being invested in local and regional museums through the Museum Estates and Development Fund and the £13.6 million Museum Transformation programme.