EU to triple travel permit fee to 20 euros
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The adjustment to the yet-to-be implemented ETIAS scheme for visa-exempt nationals comes as the European Commission seeks to boost its financial resources to fund an array of priorities from defence to agriculture.
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The change reflects inflation and additional operational costs, the commission said.
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'It will also bring the cost for a travel authorisation to the EU in line with similar travel authorisation programmes,' the EU's top executive body said.
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Adopted in 2018, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) regulation originally envisaged a fee of seven euros.
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Britain's equivalent, known as ETA, comes with a 16 pound fee ($21), while the United States' ESTA permit costs $21.
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Obtainable online, the European Union's ETIAS permit will be required for the bloc's 27 countries with the exception of Ireland, as well as for Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
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The permit, valid for three years, will be required for non-EU nationals from countries whose citizens do not need a visa for short stays in Europe, such as Canada, Britain and the United States.
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Those aged under 18 or over 70 years will be exempt from the fee.
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Brussels said the scheme was created to identify security, irregular migration and other risks as well as to facilitate border crossing for regular travellers.
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But its implementation, which was supposed to go hand-in-hand with a new automated border check system, has suffered from delays.
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The European Parliament and member states have two months to review the new 20-euro fee, which will enter into effect as soon as ETIAS becomes operational — now expected for the last quarter of 2026.
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This week the commission proposed a boosted two-trillion-euro long-term budget for 2028-2034, which has already upset some of the EU countries that will have to chip in most of the money.
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As part of the blueprint, which is subject to negotiation, Brussels said it will seek to raise about 58 billion euros a year collecting money directly through measures like its carbon border tax and a levy on electronic waste.
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