Travellers to EU will have to pay £6 visa-waiver charge from May

UK citizens travelling to the European Union next summer will have to pay a €7 (£6) visa-waiver charge after the EU revealed its timeline for the introduction of new border checks and entry requirements for some visitors.

- Jack Simpson

Ylva Johansson, the EU home affairs commissioner, confirmed that the European travel information and authorisation system (Etias), which will require UK citizens and those from other visa-exempt countries such as the US, Australia and Canada to apply for a waiver before entering the bloc, was now expected to come into force by May 2025.

The scheme will require non-EU citizens to apply for the visa waiver before entering the Schengen area, which includes 27 EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It will be valid for three years or until a passport expires.