The European Commission proposes to increase the fee for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) from the 7 euros foreseen so far to 20 euros.
ETIAS, after several delays, is supposed to come into operation at the end of 2026, and is a fee for non-EU travellers, but exempt from visa. It will apply to citizens of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Japan, among others.
The equivalent system in the United Kingdom is called ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) and came into force for citizens of the European Union on 2 April, with a price of 10 pounds, which the British Government increased to 16 pounds a week later.
The British Home Office stated that the price increase is "necessary to ensure a financially sustainable border security system" and that "visitors contribute more to the costs of processing their applications and border control services".
Precisely, the Commission affirms that the increase equates the ETIAS with other equivalent programmes such as the British or American one. The new price will not affect everyone. Children under 18, people over 70 and certain family members of EU citizens are exempt from the fee.
The exemption also covers non-EU citizens with the right to free movement within the bloc, such as family members of EU residents.
However, before the price increase becomes law, the Council and the European Parliament have two months to review the proposal. They can request changes or extend the review period.
Once ETIAS comes into force at the end of 2026, it will affect more than 1.4 billion travellers worldwide, according to EU estimates. This includes tourists, business visitors and families travelling from more than 60 countries.
