Travel to Schengen States for UK Tourist – Introduction of €7 Fee Delayed
Travel to Schengen States for UK Tourist – Introduction of €7 Fee Delayed
Updated 16th August 2022
British Holidaymakers should have been charged a fee to enter EU countries such as France, Spain Portugal from September 2022.
Initially, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) was expected to be operational from September 2022 but the launch of the €7 travel fee has been delayed until November 2023. Anyone travelling from UK to one of the 26 countries in Schengen area will have to apply via an official website and/or app for mobile devices prior to travel.
The €7 fee covers an electronic pass that will allow British citizens to go on short holidays over a period of three years before they have to renew. The pass is similar to the ESTA currently required to visit the United States.
After filling in an online application form, the system will conduct checks against EU information systems for borders and security and, in the vast majority of cases, issue a travel authorisation within minutes. In some cases, where additional checks are required the issue of the travel authorisation could take up to 30 days so early application is recommended.
The ETIAS travel authorisation will be a mandatory pre-condition for entry into the Schengen States and will be checked together with travel documents by border guards.