Britons to be charged €7 to visit EU from 2021
Britons will have to pay €7 (£6.30) every three years to travel to EU countries from 2021, the European Commission has confirmed.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will allow them to travel within the EU’s Schengen zone for up to 90 days at a time.
Citizens of 61 countries, including the UK, will have to apply for an ETIAS online and the fee applies to those aged 18 to 70.
Officials said the applications should take no more than 10 minutes and applicants will be told almost immediately if their ETIAS has been granted.
It will operate in a similar way to the US ESTA, which costs $14 and lasts for only two years.
EU ministers said the ETIAS was being introduced to tighten security for countries within the Schengen zone.
Under the Brexit deal hammered out between the EU and UK Prime Minister Theresa May, EU citizens and UK nationals will continue to be able to travel freely with a passport of ID card until the end of the transition period in 2020.
After 2020, UK nationals will be allowed to make trips of up to 90 days every six months to the EU without applying for a visa, as long as the UK offers the same to EU nationals, but UK nationals will need an ETIAS, whether Britain leaves the EU with or without a deal.
Applicants will be asked for their passport information, education and work experience, as well as background questions about criminal records and medical conditions. Applicants must also give details of the first EU country they intend to visit.
Applications can be denied or take up to two weeks to process, but the majority of holidaymakers will receive their ETIAS within a few minutes.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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