New dates set as Brits to be charged to travel to the Schengen Area including Spain, Greece and Portugal

Plans to charge Brits who’re travelling to popular Europe holiday spots an entry fee have been pushed back by more than a year.

The charge to enter countries such as Spain, Greece, Germany and Portugal was due to be in place by next month but it has now been pushed back to November 2023.

The new rules will see Brits having to submit an online form in order to travel into any of the 26 countries in the Schengen Area. The application includes a €7 fee for anyone over 18.

Since leaving the European Union, UK citizens are no longer allowed to travel freely under the EU’s freedom of movement. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System was intended to be in operation in September, and will run Brits application forms against an EU information system for borders and security.

The check will in most cases grant Brits travel authorisation within minutes. But in some cases additional checks can mean travellers will have to wait up to 30 days before travelling.

The plan was originally thought to take five years to implement, but an EU source has told  ETIAS: "According to current planning, ETIAS is scheduled to enter into operation as of November 2023.”

The EU claims that the new rules will ease bureaucracy and border checks as well as reduce queues and delays for non-EU travellers.

Which are the 26 countries in the Schengen Area?

• Austria

• Belgium

• The Czech Republic

• Denmark

• Estonia

• Finland

• France

• Germany

• Greece

• Hungary

• Iceland

• Italy

• Latvia

• Liechtenstein

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Malta

• The Netherlands

• Norway

• Poland

• Portugal

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Spain

• Sweden

• Switzerland