7 Countries You Can Visit In Europe In 2023 Without Paying The New ETIAS Entry Fee

You can still plan that Eurotrip!

A woman in Sheffield, England. Right: Bosnia & Herzegovina.

A woman in Sheffield, England. Right: Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Global Staff Writer

It's going to be a bit more expensive to visit parts of Europe next year, but if the upcoming entry fee has you miffed, then we've got a few alternatives for you.

Starting next year, people from 63 visa-exempt countries will have to apply for a special waiver to visit the EU, and that means a new 7€ fee and another round of paperwork to fill out.

The waiver is called the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), and it's set to take effect in May of 2023.

The ETIAS will be used to control entry into 27 nations in Europe along with a few independent states, and it'll apply to visitors from visa-exempt countries outside the Schengen area.

According to the ETIAS website, the countries adopting the fee in 2023 are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Though not part of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland also require the visa waiver. Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City will also be looking for it.

However, there are some countries in Europe that won't be adopting it, meaning you won't have to pay that fee or fill out the extra form.
Here are the European nations that you'll be able to visit without an ETIAS next year, according to the latest info.
  • United Kingdom
  • Ukraine
  • Serbia
  • Moldova
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Albania
  • Montenegro

It's unclear when Europe will open up applications for the ETIAS. It's also possible that this list will change, as the ETIAS website states that more countries will be added in the future.

But if you're looking to avoid that pesky new form, then give one of these countries a shot in 2023!

  • Cata Balzano (she/her) was a Staff Writer for the Narcity Global Desk. With a Communications degree from Florida International University, she has worked with the Miami Herald, Billboard, Variety, and Telemundo within other media names, covering pop culture, fashion, entertainment and travel. Originally from South Florida, Cata grew up in a Colombian-Italian household, where she grasped a sense of a multicultural lifestyle from an early age. Cata speaks four languages, proudly owns three passports, and she has lived in Bogotá, New York City, Miami, London and the French Riviera before relocating to Rome in 2022. When she's not away exploring a new city, she is spending time around Italy with her French bulldog, Bentley.

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