Last month the Bulletin reported that British and American tourists could be made to pay higher fees to enter the EU under a plan to boost the bloc’s tax revenues. The EU has apparently been considering taxing third-country foreign travellers to pay back part of the €350 billion common debt that was issued to finance its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
Well, the EU has now confirmed that the ETIAS “euro-visa” will come not only into effect between October and December 2026 and that the original fee is set almost to treble from the original €7 (equivalent to around £6) to 20 euros. The European Commission has proposed increasing the fee for visa-exempt travellers arriving in the bloc for short stays from €7 to €20, a senior EU official has confirmed.
The visa waiver will be available from the last quarter of 2026 through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for 30 European countries: all EU Member States except Ireland, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Nationals of visa-exempt countries, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Brazil and Australia, need an ETIAS authorisation for short stays (up to 90 days) in these countries. The new ETIAS fee system will be charged to the EU budget.
Currently, the cost of visa-free entry has been set at 7 euros for applicants, with exemptions for those under 18 or over 70 at the time of application. However, the European Commission now wants to triple the fee to 20 euros in order to raise additional funds. ETIAS is free for those under the age of 18 and aged 70 and over. Once ETIAS is live, certain travellers may be exempt.
How long will it be valid for?
ETIAS lasts for three years. You will be able to travel on multiple trips during this period using the same ETIAS. However, if your passport expires during the ETIAS validity period, you will need to apply for a new ETIAS. It will also not be valid if it expires during your stay, in these cases you would need to apply for a new ETIAS in advance of your travels, to cover the duration of your stay.
How to apply
There is one official website to apply for an ETIAS which is – www.europa.eu/etias. However, as ETIAS is not currently operational, applications via the website are not yet live. You will need to do one application for each traveller, so if you are a parent applying for a child, they would need a separate application to your own.
You do have the option for someone to make an application on your behalf. If you want to do that, you will need to submit a form to show you give permission. More information will be available here – Applying on behalf of others - European Union (europa.eu)
What information do I need to provide?
For each application you will need to provide:
- Personal information including name(s), date and place of birth, sex, nationality, home address, email address and phone number(s);
- Parents’ first name(s);
- Passport/travel document details;
- Level of education and current occupation;
- Details about your intended travel and stay in any of the countries requiring ETIAS;
- Details about any past criminal convictions, past travels to war or conflict zones, and whether you have recently been the subject of an extradition.
- You should make sure that the details on your ETIAS match that of your passport, if they don’t your ETIAS will not be valid and you will not be able to travel. If you are applying on behalf of someone else, then there may be additional information you need to provide.