How much is ETIAS? Fee set to triple for visa-free travelers to Europe

Some travelers might have to pay more to enter parts of Europe come 2026.

The value for travel authorization under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System is ready to almost triple, in keeping with an announcement from the European Commission Friday.

The system, referred to as ETIAS, hasn’t been implemented yet. The authorization, which was adopted in 2018, has been postponed several times, and is now set to take effect within the fourth quarter of 2026.  

A proposal was made to extend the fee from 7 euros ($8) to twenty euros ($23), in keeping with the announcement.  

Inflation and extra operational costs were reasons for the worth hike, in keeping with the announcement.  

The brand new fee comports with the worth of other travel authorizations, similar to the U.K.’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and the U.S.’ Electronic System for Travel Authorization, referred to as ESTA, the European Commission said.  

Currently, an ETA costs £16 ($21.70), and the ESTA costs $21.

The ETIAS travel authorization applies to visa-exempt travelers who need to visit 30 European countries for stays of as much as 90 days in a 180-day period. Some travelers are exempt from the fee, including those that are under 18 years old or over 70 years old, in addition to relations of European Union residents.  

Travelers from 59 places might want to obtain an ETIAS authorization, including those from Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, america and the UK.  

The proposed adjustment is subject to a two-month review period by the European Council and Parliament, in keeping with the announcement.