The most expensive tourist visas in the world for European Union citizens have been revealed in a new ranking of over 40 countries by Euronews.com, with African nations dominating.
Ghana, the Kingdom of Bhutan, and Nigeria all sit at the head of the list. Ghana’s e-visa costs €227.48, while Bhutan charges an entry visa at €35 and adds a Sustainable Development Fee of €87 per night to the costs for visitors, as a contribution towards healthcare, education, and welfare. Nigeria asks visitors to pay between €175 and €297 for single or multiple entries, depending on the visa type and the processing speed.
Cameroon is not far behind, imposing a €157 visa fee, and Algeria follows, with an entry charge of €75 to €110 according to the type and duration of stay. Saudi Arabia features in sixth place, charging a fee of €92.07, with Namibia (€85.96) and Gabon (€85) close behind.
Japan, in ninth spot, joins Saudi Arabia and Bhutan as one of the only non-African nations in the top ten most expensive visa list. It put its fees up for the first time in decades in 2026, increasing it five-fold from ¥3,000 (€16.16) to ¥15,000 (€81.28).
Rounding out the top 10 most expensive, Ivory Coast asks would-be visitors to pay €73 for their visa. Of the remaining 30 countries in the list, 50% are African nations too, with the high charges usually reflecting reciprocal visa arrangements for their citizens when entering the EU.
At the other end of the scale, Canada has the world’s cheapest visa charge for EU citizens, at just €4.31. New Zealand is second (€8.61), and India comes third for value at between €8.75 and €21.88.
Very frequent visitors to some of the world’s most expensive visa nations might want to consider purchasing a second passport instead. Jordan (which charges over €49 for EU citizens to enter) and St Kitts & Nevis (nearly €15) are both among countries offering citizenship by investment, though an outlay of €231,000 (or €300,000 in approved real estate) is required by the Caribbean island, and Jordan wants €1.29 million.
It should be remembered that if travel freedom is what is needed, then European Union member state passports dominate the Henley Index of the world’s most powerful passports already.
Visitors to the European Union, meanwhile, now have to deal with the new Entry / Exit System or EES, a revamp of border security that collects biometric data from non-EU arrivals, which has caused mass travel disruption during its introductory phase. In addition, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is on its way for visa-exempt citizens from nations such as Albania, Australia, Canada, North Macedonia, the UK, and the US, with launch on an unconfirmed date during or after Q4 2026. Costing €20, it remains valid for three years, or until the linked passport expires.
