Brits forced to pay fee to visit these 30 countries under new EU rules

Posted by Admin March 8, 2025 Travel

UK tourists will be required to pay a fee to visit 30 countries in Europe under new European Union (EU) travel rules.

The rules mean British holidaymakers will need a visa waiver to visit many European countries, which they will have to apply for and pay for before travelling. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is an electronic travel authorisation that allows non-EU citizens to visit the Schengen Area for short stays and is designed to help improve border security.

The system is not currently in operation due to delays but is planned to launch six months after the introduction of a separate European Entry-Exit Scheme (EES), which will require tourists to register their fingerprints and a facial image when holidaying in the Schengen Area.

Once the ETIAS does take effect, British travellers will have to apply for the visa-waiver for travel to 30 European countries. The visa will allow you to enter these countries as long as you want for short-term stays, which is normally up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

The visa is linked to your passport and will remain valid for up to three years, or until your passport expires – whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you’ll also need to get a new ETIAS travel authorisation. But travellers aged between 18 and 70 will have to pay a fee of €7 (about £6) to get the visa.

ETIAS.COM explains: “The full €7 ETIAS application fee applies to all visa-exempt nationals who are travelling to the EU and who at the time of the application are between the ages of 18 and 70 years of age, as well as family members of EU citizens. Family member travellers are considered to be spouses, registered partners, direct descendents or dependent who are visiting their EU relatives in their country of residence or citizenship. The €7 is non-refundable regardless if the application is approved or denied.”

The €7 fee is intended to be used to fund the costs of running the departments and systems of ETIAS and could be increased “if the operational costs cause the EU to lose money”.

UK travellers should note that the ETIAS system is not currently in operation and “will not start in the first half of 2025”, but is due to start once the EES begins.

The European Union said: “Rules of travel to most European countries have changed. Starting six months after EES, some 1.4 billion people from 59 visa-exempt countries and territories are required to have a travel authorisation to enter 30 European countries for a short stay.”

The 30 European countries where British tourists will be required to have a valid ETIAS travel authorisation to enter are: