A planned entry fee for visitors traveling to Europe in 2026, originally proposed to be about $8 per person, has now risen to approximately $24 even before implementation has begun.
The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) fee, slated to commence in the last quarter of 2026, will be charged to all visa-free travelers to the 30 European Union member nations. That includes tourists and other visitors from the U.S.
“The application fee for an ETIAS travel authorization will increase to 20 Euros from the previous 7 Euros,” according to a July 21 announcement from the European Commission, the governing body of the EU. “This increase aims to cover the operational costs of ETIAS, taking into account the rise in inflation since the previous fee was set and the increased functionalities of the system.
“It will also bring the fee in line with other similar travel authorization programs,” the statement noted. Perhaps not coincidentally, the EU announcement came shortly after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes significant fee increases for travelers entering the U.S. with visas as well as non-visa travelers.
According to the U.S. General Services Administration, the current total cost of applying for U.S. entry through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is $21.
The exact dollar amount of EU entry will depend upon exchange rates at the time of travel. In the past year, the dollar has lost about 6 percent of its value versus the Euro. The ETIAS fee will be charged to all travelers to the EU between the ages of 18 and 70 who apply for EU entry via the ETIAS system with plans to stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
The EU originally planned to begin implementing the ETIAS system and associated fees in May 2025, but the start date was later pushed to late 2026.
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