- Scots traveling to Spain and Greece are not paying the planned €20 entry fee because ETIAS is still offline.
- When launched, ETIAS will cost €20 per application and cover short trips to 30 European countries.
- Children under eighteen, adults over seventy, and some EU family members may be exempt, but approval will still be required.
Scots booking Spain and Greece trips are not being charged the planned €20 entry fee yet. The ETIAS travel authorisation is not operating, so short stays still go ahead on a valid passport. Not yet. Travelers do not need to pay it now.
ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It is a pre-travel approval for visa-free visitors heading to Spain, Greece, and other Schengen/associated countries. The scheme also covers Cyprus. It is not a visa. It is a separate EU check before travel.
When it starts, the application will cost €20 per person and stay valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. Adults from visa-exempt countries, including British travelers after Brexit, will pay it. The charge is per application. One approval will not be billed by country. It will not be a Spain-only or Greece-only charge.
Free toolB1/B2 Tourist Visa Stay Calculator onlineThe system is still off. No applications are being accepted, and the official ETIAS site says it is not in operation. Travelers to Spain or Greece do not need to pay it yet. They can still travel with a valid passport for short stays. No online form, no fee.
Spain and Greece also have their own tourist taxes and local levies. Those charges are separate from ETIAS. Different bills. The EU approval rule does not change because a local levy exists.
One permit will cover 30 countries
ETIAS is a single EU travel authorisation, not a country-by-country toll. When the system starts, it will apply to visa-free travelers heading to Spain, Greece, and 28 other European countries. Cyprus sits on the list too. One fee covers short trips across the participating countries. Single fee, many stops.
Some travelers will be exempt, but they still need the permit
The rules carve out a few groups. Adults pay. Others do not. Age is the line the scheme draws, and family links matter too. The permit itself still sits in place once the system begins.
- Travelers under 18 pay nothing.
- Travelers over 70 pay nothing.
- Some family members of EU citizens pay nothing.
- A family of four with two children under 18 would pay €40 total.
- They still need ETIAS approval once it begins.
The launch date keeps moving
The European Union has not confirmed a start date in 2026. Several notices say the launch has been delayed or left without a fixed date. The window keeps slipping. The official position remains unchanged.
On 17 July 2025, the European Commission confirmed the fee would rise from €7 to €20, citing inflation and operating costs. Older stories still carry the lower estimate. The lower figure is gone. The jump explains why the wrong number keeps circulating.
As of 15 August 2026, the launch date had been removed altogether. Still waiting. When it finally arrives, the scheme will cover Spain, Greece and 28 other European countries. The list runs to 30 countries. British travelers will be in scope, too.
