ETIAS cost: EUR 20 fee, exemptions, and payment safety
Applying directly through the official ETIAS channel is stated to cost EUR 20 once the system opens. Applicants under 18, over 70, and qualifying family members are exempt from that payment. The official application fee is non-refundable if an application is unsuccessful. ETIAS is not operating, so no site can collect a live official ETIAS application fee now.
Current position
No official ETIAS payment is due now
Any current charge is not a live official application fee and must be identified and described separately.
Direct official fee
EUR 20
Payable through the official route once live.
Under 18
Payment exempt
The authorisation may still be required.
Over 70
Payment exempt
The authorisation may still be required.
Unsuccessful application
No official-fee refund
The current official FAQ position.
Private educational fee check
ETIAS fee and exemption explainer
Check the two published exemption categories without entering a birth date, name, passport number, or family member's details. Answers stay in this browser form and are not sent to analytics.
Scope: this is a fee explanation, not an eligibility decision. The exact official exemption definition and any evidence requirements control when the application channel opens.
High-intent deep dives
Continue with the exact ETIAS question
ETIAS fee at a glance
The published fee rules separate payment from the underlying authorisation requirement.
- Standard direct application
- EUR 20 through the official website or app once applications open.
- Applicant under 18
- No official application payment; ETIAS may still be required.
- Applicant over 70
- No official application payment; ETIAS may still be required.
- Qualifying family member
- No official payment when the published EU-family conditions are met.
- Application unsuccessful
- The official EUR 20 fee is non-refundable.
What the EUR 20 fee is — and is not
It is the direct official application charge once ETIAS accepts applications.
- It is not payable before the official system opens.
- It is separate from airline, visa, insurance, or border-service charges.
- It does not guarantee approval, boarding, or entry.
- Card-provider or currency-conversion charges are not part of the official ETIAS fee.
- An intermediary's optional support fee is a separate commercial charge.
Who is exempt from the official payment?
Payment exemption does not necessarily remove the need for an authorisation.
- Under 18
- No EUR 20 payment, but an individual application where ETIAS applies.
- Over 70
- No EUR 20 payment, but an individual application where ETIAS applies.
- Qualifying family member
- No payment when the current official relationship and free-movement conditions are met.
Total cost anatomy
A transparent page should identify every amount before personal data or payment.
- Official application fee
- EUR 20, or EUR 0 for a qualifying payment-exempt applicant.
- Optional support fee
- A separate, clearly described price charged by an independent intermediary, if chosen.
- Payment-provider costs
- Possible bank, card, or currency-conversion costs outside the ETIAS fee.
- Current ETIAS Connect checkout
- No public application-support checkout or official-fee collection is active.
Refunds and unsuccessful applications
The official FAQ says the EUR 20 application fee is non-refundable if an application is unsuccessful.
An independent provider's cancellation or refund policy is separate and must never be presented as the official EU rule.
Family cost scenarios
Count each traveller's fee status separately; do not assume one family application.
- Two adults aged 18–70
- Published direct official total: EUR 40, if both require ETIAS and neither has another exemption.
- Two adults and two children
- Published direct official total: EUR 40, because under-18 applicants are payment-exempt.
- Traveller over 70
- EUR 0 official application payment, while an individual authorisation may still be required.
- Qualifying EU-family case
- EUR 0 official payment if the exact published conditions are met.
Payment safety checks
Pause before paying when the operating state, operator, role, or price is unclear.
- Confirm the EU says applications are open.
- Verify the official route from travel-europe.europa.eu/etias.
- Identify the operator and whether the service is official or independent.
- Require the official fee and optional service fee to be shown separately.
- Reject claims of mandatory intermediary help, guaranteed approval, or priority access.
- Read privacy, cancellation, refund, and support terms before paying.
Primary-source record
Official sources checked for this guide
Source checks are recorded separately from build dates. ETIAS Connect is independent and links directly to the controlling EU material.
Found a factual issue? Use the corrections route or email assistance@etiasconnect.eu with the page URL and source evidence.
Frequently asked questions
How much will ETIAS cost?
The direct official application fee is stated as EUR 20 once ETIAS opens.
Who does not pay the official fee?
Applicants under 18, over 70, and qualifying family members are listed as payment-exempt.
Does a child still need ETIAS?
Where ETIAS applies, a child has an individual authorisation even though an under-18 applicant does not pay the official fee.
Is the fee refunded if the application is refused?
No. The current official FAQ says the application fee is non-refundable if the application is unsuccessful.
Can I pay the official fee now?
No. ETIAS is not operating and the official application system is not collecting applications or fees.
Is an intermediary fee the same as the official fee?
No. Optional independent support is a separate commercial service and its fee must be disclosed separately.