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EU pushes ahead with plan to levy border fee on Brits: Will the UK reciprocate?

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Passengers will continue to face limits on the amount of liquid they can carry through UK airports, after the DfT delayed the roll-out of new security scanners.
Passengers will continue to face limits on the amount of liquid they can carry through UK airports, after the DfT delayed the roll-out of new security scanners.

The European Commission has confirmed its plans to charge €7 (£6.20) to travellers visiting Europe from non-EU states, including British citizens.

The fee will apply with the introduction of a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) before the end of 2022.

It will be a one-off fee valid for multiple entries over three years, similar to the system used by the US.

Visitors coming from any country outside the EU and Schengen area will be required to request and pay for this authorisation, including British nationals since the exit from the EU.

“Visa-exempt non-EU nationals will only need a few minutes to fill in an online application which in a vast majority of cases – expected to be over 95 per cent – will result in automatic approval,” said a spokesperson for the EU Commission.

“The system will cross-check travellers against EU information systems for internal security, borders and migration before their trip, helping to identify ahead of time people who may pose a risk to security or health, as well as compliance with migration rules,” added the Commission in a press release.

The UK government has clarified it has no plans to introduce a reciprocal fee for arrivals from the continent. Minister Michelle Donelan told LBC that the government has “visa plans already outlined”.

For the past decade, the United States has charged $14 (£10) for visitors entering the country under a system the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) system.