Europe Will Start Charging Visitors In 2023 & You Have To Pay If You're From These Countries

If you're looking to travel to one of the countries in the European Union in 2023, it just got a bit more complicated and expensive.

The European Union is poised to introduce a new visa waiver system that will take effect next May, which it calls the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System).

It doesn't sound like an especially difficult system, but it'll likely be one more hoop for you to jump through — and one more fee to pay — the next time you visit Europe.

You'll also need to plan ahead because there's no guarantee that you'll be instantly approved.

Basically, the ETIAS is an online form you'll have to complete before visiting any EU country, and it'll cost you €7 per person. It applies to anyone who doesn't currently need a visa to enter the EU, and EU residents and citizens are exempt.

That means visitors from 63 different countries, including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, will need to fill out the ETIAS form before they can enter the EU.

The form can be filled out online in about 10 minutes, and the fee applies to visitors between the ages of 18 and 70 years old. You only need a passport to complete it.

According to a memo from the EU obtained by CNN, the maximum time needed for approval could be up to a month in "very exceptional cases," however most applications would be accepted "within minutes."

Anyone whose application is denied will be given the option to appeal.

The ETIAS website states that the program was created to "protect and strengthen its borders," as well as "identify possible threats and risks" that visitors might present.

Though a start date for applications has not been announced, these are the countries that will now require ETIAS approval to travel to the EU:

• Albania
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Canada
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Dominica
• El Salvador
• Georgia
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Israel
• Japan
• Kiribati
• Macao
• Malaysia
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• Nauru
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• North Macedonia
• Palau
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent
• Samoa
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Solomon Islands
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Timor Leste
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• Uruguay
• Vanuatu
• Venezuela