EU Proposes Tripling ETIAS Fee to €20, Faces Criticism

The European Commission has proposed raising the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) application fee from €7 to €20.

ETIAS is a pre-travel screening system for visa-exempt, non-EU visitors, allowing stays for up to 90 days.

Initially set at €7 in 2018, the system has been delayed multiple times and is now expected to go live in late 2026.

The Commission says the increase is necessary due to inflation and rising operational costs.

This adjustment is also tied to the EU’s long-term budget strategy for 2028–2034, expected to raise an extra €300 million annually.

Travel organizations, including Airlines For Europe (A4E), ECTAA, ETOA, HOTREC, and ERA, have criticized the fee increase as potentially harmful to Europe’s tourism competitiveness.

The Commission's proposal is now subject to a two-month review by the Council and European Parliament.

If approved, this change would follow the US's earlier hike of the visitor visa fee to $250 under the Big Beautiful Bill provisions.

Cover photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash