European business travel and aviation groups have lambasted the European Commission¡¯s?recent proposal?to increase the ETIAS application fee from €7 to €20.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is expected to become operational in late 2026 and, similar to the?UK¡¯s recently introduced ETA scheme?and the long-established ESTA in the US, will require visa-exempt non-EU nationals to obtain an online authorisation before entering the bloc.

Patrick Diemer, chair of the European travel buyers network BT4Europe, said the proposed near-tripling of the ETIAS fee represents ¡°yet another cost and administrative burden on travellers, with little noticeable benefit to the user experience¡±.

Speaking to BTN Europe, Diemer said the move ¡°risks undermining the competitiveness of European travel and adds friction for visitors ¨C especially for business travellers who already navigate complex and inconsistent travel rules across the continent¡±.

¡°We support secure, efficient entry systems, but only where they deliver real value to travellers and businesses alike. This fee hike sends the wrong signal," he added.

Associations from across Europe's travel and tourism sector issued a joint statement on Thursday (24 July) expressing ¡°deep concern¡± over the decision.

Groups such as Airlines for Europe (A4E), the European Travel Agents¡¯ and Tour Operators¡¯ Association (ECTAA), the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) and the European Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Caf¨¦s (HOTREC) called for clarity on the proposed fee hike, arguing that ¡°insufficient evidence has been offered to justify that such a fee level is necessary for the operation and maintenance of ETIAS¡±.

¡°This increase appears disproportionate and runs counter to the original intention of the co-legislators (European Parliament and Council), who agreed to a modest and reasonable fee during the [initial] 2018 negotiations," they said.

The statement also warned against aligning ETIAS with ¡°unrelated schemes¡± such as the UK ETA (which costs ?16 per application) and US ESTA (which costs $21)-

¡°Referencing other travel authorisation schemes as benchmarks for pricing sets a concerning precedent. Fee decisions should reflect the actual operational needs of the EU system and be fully justified,¡± they argued.

The European Commission announced the proposed fee hike on Monday (21 July) after?confirming the October launch?of its much-delayed Entry-Exit System (EES), which must be operational before the ETIAS is introduced.

The proposed increase in the ETIAS fee will now undergo a two-month review period by the European Council and Parliament.