The European Commission plans to launch a payment system for visa-free entries in the spring.

The EU plans to introduce a fee for visa-free travelers

In the European Union (EU), it is planned to launch the EES and ETIAS systems by the spring of 2025. This will mean that citizens of visa-free countries will be required to pay a fee of 7 euros every three years to authorize their trips.

European Commission spokeswoman Anita Hipper announced that the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) should be ready for operation by the spring of 2025.

"We plan for ETIAS to be ready for operation by the spring of 2025," emphasized the spokeswoman.

From November 2024, the EU's Entry-Exit System (EES) should come into operation, replacing the manual stamping of foreign passports with an electronic database.

"For the Entry-Exit System, there will no longer be manual passport control, and this will also speed up the use of electronic checks," noted Hipper.

The spokeswoman also reported that the European Commission expects a declaration of readiness from EU member states at the beginning of September to confirm the launch of the systems.

In 2018, the European Union decided to change the procedure for crossing the border by citizens of visa-free states. The adopted legislation established the parameters of the new ETIAS system.

Although the launch dates of the system were postponed several times, in 2021, funding and technical legislation were adopted. As a result, it was expected that the ETIAS system could be launched at the beginning of 2022.

After the launch and transition period, Ukrainians with biometric passports will be able to enter the EU with prior registration in the new system.

Source: European Truth