Brits travelling to Spain or France issued warning as new visa fees nearly triple

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Other than UK citizens, travellers from 58 other visa-exempt nations will also have to obtain travel authorisation before entering EU member states such as France, Spain and Portugal.

Brits planning trip to popular destinations such as to the Costas or Dordogne, must secure an ETIAS prior to departure, while all travellers will need to fill out an online application.

As per The Mirror, while the system is designed for most ETIAS authorisations to be processed within minutes, applications requiring additional scrutiny could take up to 30 days for clearance.

It is therefore advisable to arrange this immediately after booking a holiday.

The charge accompanying an ETIAS application has emerged as the latest setback for British holidaymakers, as when initially unveiled in 2018, the cost was projected to be €7, slightly over £6.

However, it was revealed late last year that the actual fee will be nearly triple the initial estimate at €20, approximately £17.37.

While travellers of all ages will require an ETIAS, though the charge is waived for youngsters and pensioners, meaning only visitors aged 18-70 will face the payment.

“ETIAS fee has been set at EUR 20 instead of the previous EUR 7. The new fee takes into account the rise in inflation since 2018 and additional operational costs related to new technical features integrated into the system. It also brings the cost for an ETIAS travel authorisation in line with similar travel authorisation programmes around the globe”, a statement on the European Commission website explains.

An ETIAS permits multiple journeys and remains valid for three years, once granted, or until your passport expires, whichever occurs first.

There’s no confirmed launch date for the ETIAS, as of now.

The European Commission has previously stated that it will disclose the date several months ahead, which means travellers and airports will have enough time to get ready.