Millions of Brits will have to fork out extraCrystal clear water at the beach of Las Conchas on La Graciosa island. In the background the neighbor island of Montaña Clara.Millions of holidaymakers will be impacted(Image: Getty/Andreas Weibel)

UK holidaymakers and other non-EU travellers will soon have to pay for entry into Spain and 29 European countries as part of a new travel scheme. Due to Brexit, UK passport holders will need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) to gain access to certain European nations.

The ETIAS travel authorisation is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals visiting any of the “core Schengen area countries”, as well as some “Schengen associate countries”, and Cyprus. With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, travellers can enter these European countries as frequently as desired for short-term stays, typically up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

Initially, an ETIAS was said to cost 7 euros per person, but it has since been confirmed that it will cost 20 euros per eligible traveller. Travellers aged under 18 or over 70 are exempt, so for a family of four travelling with two children, the cost would be 40 euros.

The scheme has been delayed several times, and earlier this year the EU’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs estimated that the ETIAS will be introduced in the last quarter of 2026. The ETIAS is stored electronically against the passport and will be necessary for travel to the following countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The majority of applications are anticipated to receive approval “almost immediately”, though the system may flag up issues with your ETIAS submission that could lead to refusal. Grounds for ETIAS applications being turned down are understood to include holding an invalid passport, being deemed a “risk” or having a Schengen Information System (SIS) alert, providing an incomplete application, or not turning up to a mandatory interview.

Should your ETIAS application face rejection, you retain the right to submit an appeal.