Get set to fork out more for your Euro trip next year: the European Union’s upcoming European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS) entry fee has tripled from €7 to €20 (around AUD$35) before it’s even due to launch in late 2026.
ETIAS will apply to all non-EU nationals from visa-exempt countries, including Australia and New Zealand, when it comes into effect in the last quarter of next year.
It doesn’t include the UK, which has its own entry system, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which has a very straightforward application process via an app.
The European Commission has attributed the ETIAS price hike to rising inflation and operational costs, while saying the application fee brings it in line with similar digital travel authorisation programs, such as the UK and US.
The US ESTA costs Aussie travellers around AUD$32 (USD$21), while the UK’s ETA also went up in price in April 2025, from £10 to £16 (around AUD$33).
In contrast, Canada’s eTA e-visa is just CAN$7 (around AUD$7.80) and is valid for five years.
All about the ETIAS
The EU’s entry fee was approved way back in 2016 to screen and track travellers entering and leaving EU nations digitally.
It was originally slated to start in January 2023 before being delayed to the first half of 2025.
ETIAS will allow visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries and stay for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The travel authorisation is valid for three years from the date of approval or until your passport expires, whichever occurs first.
Once it has a start date, travellers, or advisors on their behalf, can apply through the official ETIAS website or app.
The Commission has submitted the proposal to the Council and European Parliament, which have to endorse it. The increased fees would generate an additional €300 million (around AUD$537 million) per year.
Not everyone is on board with several European airline and travel organisations warning that the price hike could hurt the EU’s tourism market competitiveness.
For more info, head to travel-europe.europa.eu/etias
