EU adds 20-euro travel fee

The European Union’s new pre-trip travel clearance will cost 20 euros when it starts operating in the last quarter of 2026. (travel-europe.europa.eu 1) (travel-europe.europa.eu 2) The system is called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, or ETIAS, and it applies to visa-exempt non-EU travellers heading to 30 European countries for short stays. The European Commission said on July 17, 2025 that the fee would rise from the previously planned 7 euros to 20 euros. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (travel-europe.europa.eu) The EU said the higher fee reflects inflation, operating costs and added system functions, and said it also brings ETIAS closer to the price of similar schemes such as the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation and the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) (travel-europe.europa.eu) For most holidaymakers, ETIAS is not a visa. It is an online authorisation you get before travel, and the EU says most applications will be processed automatically, with a decision delivered within minutes. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) Children still need an ETIAS, but applicants under 18 do not pay the fee. Travellers over 70 are also exempt, so a family of four with two children would pay 40 euros, not 80. (travel-europe.europa.eu) (moneysavingexpert.com) An approved ETIAS is valid for three years, or until the linked passport expires, whichever comes first. It covers multiple trips, as long as the traveller still follows the 90-days-in-180 rule for short stays in the Schengen area. (moneysavingexpert.com) (gov.uk) The new fee is not in force yet. The EU’s official ETIAS site says no action is required now and that it will announce a specific launch date several months before the system starts. (travel-europe.europa.eu) What has already changed is the separate Entry/Exit System, or EES. The UK government says that system started on October 12, 2025 and now records biometric details such as fingerprints and a photo for British citizens entering the Schengen area, with no pre-trip fee. (gov.uk) That means Europe’s new border regime is arriving in two steps: EES at the frontier first, then ETIAS before departure later. For travellers, the immediate risk is paying the wrong website, because the EU says ETIAS applications are not open yet. (gov.uk) (travel-europe.europa.eu) (moneysavingexpert.com) When ETIAS finally goes live, the change for UK and other visa-exempt travellers will be simple but unavoidable: apply online, pay 20 euros if you are not exempt, and get clearance before you travel. (travel-europe.europa.eu)