Cost of new entry fee for Europe triples – before it even begins

The great summer tourist invasion of Europe is in full swing, but travel to the sun and spritz will soon come with a surcharge. And before the fee is even off the runway, Europe’s new travel authorisation system is getting a price bump.

Having been delayed several times, the EU now plans to increase the cost of an ETIAS entry fee to almost $36.Credit: Getty Images

The European Union announced this month that it plans to nearly triple the cost of its long-delayed European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), raising the fee to €20 ($A35.50) from €7 ($A12.40)

The increase in the fee, which will be charged to visa-free travellers, including Australians, has been adopted more than a year before the system is set to begin, in late 2026.

The ETIAS was approved in 2018 as Europe’s answer to travel preclearance systems like the ESTA in the United States, which is mandatory for visitors from more than 40 countries listed in the US Visa Waiver Program.

Many border control policies are managed jointly in Europe by countries in the Schengen visa-free travel zone.

The ETIAS has faced multiple postponements, partly because of delays in the rollout of the Schengen Area’s biometric Entry‑Exit System but also because of budget and legal hurdles, as well as pandemic-related disruptions.

In a statement last week explaining the fee increase, the EU executive branch, the European Commission, cited inflation and rising operational costs, including the addition of new technical features. Officials also noted that the higher fee would make the ETIAS comparable to similar systems elsewhere: the US ESTA costs $US21 ($A32), while the UK’s ETA costs £16 ($A33).

Europe’s travel and tourism sector has voiced concerns over the proposed increase, even though the fee is not yet being charged.

“While the fee may represent a small fraction of overall travel expenses, the cumulative impact on families is not negligible,” a group of travel sector associations wrote in a statement Thursday. “Insufficient evidence has been offered to justify that such a fee level is necessary for the operation and maintenance of ETIAS.”

Once operational, the ETIAS will require travellers from more than 50 visa-exempt countries – including Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan and Britain – to apply online before entering most European countries.

The authorisation will be valid for up to three years or until the traveller’s passport expires, whichever comes first. Travellers may not stay more than 90 days within any 180-day period.

Children under 18 and adults over 70 will be exempt from the fee, along with certain family members of EU citizens and residents with the right to freedom of movement with the bloc.

As in the United States and Britain, the process is expected to be quick and fully digital: travellers will enter their personal details online and, in most cases, receive authorisation within minutes.

The proposed fee increase will now be reviewed by the European Parliament and Council - though historically, such adjustments face little opposition.

For this fee-free summer, at least, there seems no excuse for tourists to skimp on the gelato or souvenirs.

The Washington Post