2 days ago
Brits face new £17 visa-waiver charge to travel to Europe next year – more than DOUBLE previous costs
The new fees could come into effect as early as 2026
EU WHAT? Brits face new £17 visa-waiver charge to travel to Europe next year – more than DOUBLE previous costs
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BRITS are facing down new visa-waiver charges twice as expensive as previous costs.
Tourists to the EU could now be asked to pay as much as £17 (€20), a near three times increase on the original £6 (€7).
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Brits could be asked to pay twice as much to visit EU countries
Credit: EPA
The new charges could come into effect as early as 2026 and are expected to raise as much as £1.7 billion (€2 billion) in revenues.
Part of the eye-watering sum raised by the charges will pay for operating costs.
The fees would apply to nationals of dozens of countries when they visit the EU.
It comes after the EU published plans for a £1.7 trillion (€2 trillion) budget for 2028-34.
Alongside the new visa-waiver fees the budget included plans for proposed taxes on big companies, e-waste and tobacco.
The fees are known as the European Travel Information and Authorisation scheme (ETIA).
The ETIAs were originally £6 (€7), agreed in 2018, but the European Commission included in its budget plans suggestions for "additional other revenue."
This would come in the form of an adjusted ETIA fee.
The proposed EITA would see Brits charged £17 (€20) per application when visiting EU countries.
It will become law unless EU member states and the European parliament raise objections to the proposal in the next two months.
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It would apply to nationals of countries across the globe including Japan, Brazil, Canada and the United States.
Paying the visa waiver fee once will see it last for three years or until your passport expires.
Brits hoping for a holiday in Europe would have to pay the fee from 2026.
Any Brits currently living in the EU with status guaranteed under the Brexit withdrawal agreement will be exempt from the new higher rate.
Children and people over the age of 70 when they applied for a visa waiver will also be exempt.
Brits were previously able to travel to EU countries without a visa.
British passport holders can currently stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without needing to get a visa.
Longer stays require visas or visa waivers.
