The long-delayed European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) finally has a confirmed price tag. The European Commission has set the application fee at €20 and reiterated that the electronic travel permit will become operational in late 2026, with mandatory enforcement expected from 2027. ETIAS will apply to citizens of visa-exempt, non-EU countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia. Once approved, the authorisation will allow multiple entries of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, mirroring the current Schengen short-stay rule.
For Czechia’s globally mobile workforce the change is significant. Business visitors from strategic partners like the US and UK currently breeze through Prague’s Václav Havel Airport with only a passport stamp; from 2027 they will need to complete an online security questionnaire, upload passport details and pay the €20 fee before boarding. Multinationals should start mapping compliance processes now, especially for frequent fly-in specialists and short-cycle project teams. HR departments will also need to update pre-trip checklists and employee-training materials.
The Commission stresses that ETIAS is not the same as the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which began collecting fingerprints and facial images from non-EU travellers earlier this year. EES is run at the border and is free of charge; ETIAS is a pre-travel authorisation similar to the US ESTA. Travel-trade bodies have already reported a surge in fake websites claiming to sell ETIAS permits. Employers should warn staff to apply only through the EU’s official portal once it goes live.
![€20 ETIAS Fee Confirmed: Non-EU Travellers Will Need New Authorisation to Enter Czechia and 29 Other European Countries]()
To help businesses and individual travellers navigate these changes, VisaHQ provides a streamlined ETIAS assistance service, including automated reminders, form-filling guidance and real-time status tracking—features accessible via its Czech Republic portal at https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/. By centralising applications and screening for authenticity, VisaHQ reduces administrative burdens and protects users from fraudulent third-party sites.
Carriers could see minor check-in delays during the transition. Airlines will be required to verify the ETIAS status of every passenger before departure or face fines. Prague Airport is installing new API interfaces to automate those checks, but corporate travellers should still arrive early in the first months of rollout.
Practical tip: build ETIAS validity into travel-management systems. The authorisation lasts three years—or until the traveller’s passport expires—so companies can bulk-apply for entire project teams and reuse the permit on multiple trips. For Czech export firms that rely on UK-based technicians or US sales engineers, that could save time and reduce last-minute trip cancellations.
For Czechia’s globally mobile workforce the change is significant. Business visitors from strategic partners like the US and UK currently breeze through Prague’s Václav Havel Airport with only a passport stamp; from 2027 they will need to complete an online security questionnaire, upload passport details and pay the €20 fee before boarding. Multinationals should start mapping compliance processes now, especially for frequent fly-in specialists and short-cycle project teams. HR departments will also need to update pre-trip checklists and employee-training materials.
The Commission stresses that ETIAS is not the same as the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which began collecting fingerprints and facial images from non-EU travellers earlier this year. EES is run at the border and is free of charge; ETIAS is a pre-travel authorisation similar to the US ESTA. Travel-trade bodies have already reported a surge in fake websites claiming to sell ETIAS permits. Employers should warn staff to apply only through the EU’s official portal once it goes live.
To help businesses and individual travellers navigate these changes, VisaHQ provides a streamlined ETIAS assistance service, including automated reminders, form-filling guidance and real-time status tracking—features accessible via its Czech Republic portal at https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/. By centralising applications and screening for authenticity, VisaHQ reduces administrative burdens and protects users from fraudulent third-party sites.
Carriers could see minor check-in delays during the transition. Airlines will be required to verify the ETIAS status of every passenger before departure or face fines. Prague Airport is installing new API interfaces to automate those checks, but corporate travellers should still arrive early in the first months of rollout.
Practical tip: build ETIAS validity into travel-management systems. The authorisation lasts three years—or until the traveller’s passport expires—so companies can bulk-apply for entire project teams and reuse the permit on multiple trips. For Czech export firms that rely on UK-based technicians or US sales engineers, that could save time and reduce last-minute trip cancellations.
