Some travelers may need to pay more to enter parts of Europe come 2026.
The price for travel authorization under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System is set to nearly triple, according to an announcement from the European Commission Friday.
The system, known as ETIAS, hasn’t been implemented yet. The authorization, which was adopted in 2018, has been postponed several times, and is now set to take effect in the fourth quarter of 2026.
A proposal was made to increase the fee from 7 euros ($8) to 20 euros ($23), according to the announcement.
Inflation and additional operational costs were reasons for the price hike, according to the announcement.
The new fee comports with the price of other travel authorizations, such as the U.K.’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and the U.S.’ Electronic System for Travel Authorization, known as ESTA, the European Commission said.
Currently, an ETA costs £16 ($21.70), and the ESTA costs $21.
Who must pay it?
The ETIAS travel authorization applies to visa-exempt travelers who want to visit 30 European countries for stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Some travelers are exempt from the fee, including those who are under 18 years old or over 70 years old, as well as family members of European Union citizens.
Travelers from 59 places will need to obtain an ETIAS authorization, including those from Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The proposed adjustment is subject to a two-month review period by the European Council and Parliament, according to the announcement.
