The European Commission has announced an increase to the fee for non-EU travellers arriving in the bloc under its new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
Non-EU visitors who do not require a visa in order to enter 30 European nations will need to pay nearly three times as much under ETIAS as the previously proposed price of entry, taking the price from €7 to €20. Under 18s and over 70-year-olds are exempt.
Pending a standard two-month review by the Council and the European Parliament, the raised fee will enter into effect as soon as ETIAS is operational, which is anticipated for the last quarter of 2026.
The tripled cost is intended to “cover the operational costs of ETIAS, taking into account all its functionalities and inflation rates, and align the EU fee to the ones of other countries that have similar travel authorisation programmes,” the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs said in a news release.
🆕 Planning to visit Europe? From the end of 2026, non-EU travellers will need #ETIAS, the new European Travel Authorisation:
— EU Home Affairs (@EUHomeAffairs) July 21, 2025
✈️ to enter 30 countries.
💶 new fee: 20€
Quick online application, instant response, and exemptions for under-18s/over-70s. More details ↓
Despite the increase, the entry charge still appears good value compared to entering the United States, where the Department for Homeland Security recently applied a fee of $250 (€213) to its non-immigrant visas.
The long-planned ETIAS is due to finally come into force at the end of 2026 after a series of delays. It is being introduced with the aim of improving security within the bloc while facilitating visa-exempt travel for non-EU nationals.
To apply for permission to travel under ETIAS, would-be visitors will need to complete a digital application form online prior to their trip – a process the EU describes as “quick and easy.” They will need to be prepared to provide personal information such as name(s), date and place of birth, sex, nationalities, home address, email address and phone number(s), as well as parents’ first name(s), education levels, criminal conviction history, any travel to designated war zones, and the country of the visitor’s intended first stay,
They also need to be in possession of a valid biometric passport issued within the decade, with an expiry date more than three months in the future.
The application will be processed automatically, and most travellers should receive a decision within minutes, the EU says. However, it can take up to a month, meaning that travellers should allow plenty of time for the application ahead of their travel date. Certain groups, including individuals under 18 or over 70, will be exempt from paying the fee.
