Brits over 70 are to be exempt from a new fee charged to tourists visiting Spain under a new EU travel scheme, it’s been announced this week.
UK visitors to 29 European countries will soon have to pay €20 per person to enter some of the nation’s favourite travel destinations, with only pensioners and under 18s exempt.
New post-Brexit rules will see British citizens have to register with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) in order to access countries including Spain, France and Portugal.
The UK will be joining a group of visa-exempt non-European countries when the requirement is expected to come into force in late 2026.
The ETIAS travel authorisation represents an entry requirement for British nationals visiting any of the ‘core Schengen area countries’, alongside some ‘Schengen associate countries’, and Cyprus.
Having a valid ETIAS travel authorisation enables travellers to enter these European nations as often as they wish for brief stays, generally up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
The fee, which will see a typical family of four add an extra €40 to their holiday cost, had originally been mooted at just €7 per person, but this lower rate has since been scrapped, it was revealed today.
In June it was reported that the European Union was considering raising the price to help with repayments on a €350 billion (£299 billion) debt used to fund the post-Covid recovery.
Following Brexit, UK passport holders must register with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) to access certain European destinations
The scheme has been in the works for years but has faced multiple setbacks and delays amid concerns about delays at border crossings, airports and ports.
The EU’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs said earlier this year that the ETIAS will be introduced in the last quarter of 2026.
There will then be a grace period, so applying for an ETIAS will not become mandatory until 2027.
Most applications are expected to be approved ‘almost immediately’, although the system could highlight problems with your ETIAS submission that might result in rejection.
Reasons for ETIAS applications being declined are believed to include possessing an invalid passport, being considered a ‘risk’ or having a Schengen Information System (SIS) alert, submitting an incomplete application, or failing to attend a mandatory interview.
If an ETIAS application is refused, travellers maintain the right to lodge an appeal.
Once approved, British nationals will then be able to enter Europe freely for three years, when the ETIAS will need to be renewed.
In another post-Brexit change set to come into force from October 12, UK travellers to Spain will experience new border procedures with the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), requiring their fingerprints and photos at the border for short stays.
Another change is set to come into force from October 12, meaning UK travellers to Spain will experience new border procedures with the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES)
Prior to the fee being raised to €20, a spokesperson for the European Commission told the Daily Mail: ‘Preparations for the launch of ETIAS are ongoing.
‘The ETIAS Regulation, adopted in 2018, established a fee of 7 [now 20] euros for each application, valid for a period of three years.
‘The Commission is assessing a possible adjustment of the fee. This takes into account the rise in inflation since 2018, the additional technical functionalities added to the system, as well as the need to ensure a level playing field with similar global travel authorisation programmes.’
The system is designed to replace manual passport stamping for non-EU travellers, including UK passport holders, entering the Schengen Area. The EES aims to speed up the process of going through airport checks.
But new research commissioned by Co-op Insurance has found that 60 per cent of people are not even aware of the new system being introduced.
European countries using the EES will introduce the system gradually at their external borders, according to the European Union website.
This means that data collection will be gradually introduced at border crossing points with full implementation by April 10, 2026.
The EES aims to make travel easier, more efficient, faster and increasingly secure.
