European Union Tourist Fees - Now for 2025!
Now pushed back to 2025, all US tourists traveling to countries within the Europe Union will need to pay an entry fee. This new fee will apply to tourists from countries that currently have visa-free access to the EU. In order to pay the fee, which will be €7 (or approximately $7.60 as of August 2023 conversion rate), all visitors will need to register online through the European Travel Information and Authorization (ETIAS) website, which can be found here: https://etias.com. You do not need an ETIAS travel authorization if you only remain in the international transit area.
In order to apply for an ETIAS, you will need your passport along with a computer or mobile device with internet access, as well as a valid form of payment. According to the ETIAS website, the “application will take 20 minutes to complete yet this could vary depending on the number of additional fields you may be required to fill out.”
The application fields will require full name, date of birth, place of birth, country of birth, sex, current nationality, and home address. You will need to provide your passport information, permanent address, email address, phone number, the EU member state you are first entering, education and/or current occupation. You will also need to fill out additional “background and eligibility questions” which will pertain to medical conditions, criminal history, previous travel to war-zone countries, and any previous immigration or travel history which resulted in deportation or rejected entry to an EU member country.
Note that if you are entering an EU country at a land border, there will be electronic kiosks where you can complete the application on site.
Upon payment of the fee, the ETIAS application will be processed and a decision will be obtained within minutes. One note on payment: travelers under the age of 18 or over the age of 70 will NOT need to pay the fee.
ETIAS authorization will be valid for an unlimited number of entries over three years. However, the same short-term stay requirements still apply: you may stay in the EU for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. While this new fee may be a pain for frequent travelers, it is no different from many other countries around the world ensuring they are actively monitoring who is entering their countries. And it’s still much cheaper and easier than needing a visa!
