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British Travellers Will Have To Pay To Visit Europe Post-Brexit

British Travellers Will Have To Pay To Visit Europe Post-Brexit

The European Commission has revealed that British tourists wanting to visit EU countries will have to pay for an electronic visa waiver.

Mark Cunliffe

Mark Cunliffe

The European Commission has confirmed that British travellers wanting to visit any countries in the European Union will have to pay £6 (€7) post-Brexit.

However, before you panic and think that your holiday add-ons are going to cost more than the holiday itself, the fee is only paid every three years.

The fee is to pre-register for an electronic visa waiver, which is a similar system to the ESTA scheme used by the US.

An electronic visa waiver would be valid for three years, or until your passport expires, and it will be introduced in January 2021.

The European Commission has confirmed the pre-paid visa system will come into play in January 2021. (Credit:PA)
The European Commission has confirmed the pre-paid visa system will come into play in January 2021. (Credit:PA)

If you are under 18 or over 70, the pre-authorisation fee will be waived, which means an estimated 40 million Brits will have to pay the fee if they want to visit a country in the EU.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) scheme will mean citizens of 61 countries outside the Schengen area (an area comprising 26 European states that have officially abolished passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders) will be required to pre-register for visa-free travel.

According to Sky News, the scheme can be found in the small print of the detailed draft regulation covering visa exemptions for UK citizens travelling to the Schengen area.

It says: "The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will apply to United Kingdom nationals once union law on free movement of union citizens ceases to apply to them, as to other visa-free third country nationals".

Natasha Bertaud, co-ordinating spokesperson for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, confirmed that ETIAS would apply to British tourists after Brexit, but that it was a lot cheaper than an ESTA.

A European Commission spokesperson also told Sky News: "Once ETIAS enters into operation, all visa-exempt non-EU nationals who plan to travel to the Schengen area will have to apply via ETIAS."

Featured Image Credit: Pexels

Topics: Life News, Real