Travellers from visa-exempt countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia will soon pay €20—triple the originally announced €7—to obtain an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) permit before entering Switzerland or any of the other 29 participating European states. The revised fee was finalised by EU interior ministers on 30 December and confirmed to Swiss media by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
ETIAS will operate much like the U.S. ESTA: applicants complete an online form covering passport data, travel history and security questions. Most approvals should arrive within minutes and remain valid for three years or until the passport expires. Children under 18 and adults over 70 are exempt from the fee but must still apply.
For travelers who prefer expert assistance, VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers step-by-step ETIAS guidance, automated reminders, and corporate dashboard tools that streamline bulk applications and payment tracking—handy features for both vacationers and corporate mobility teams adapting to the new €20 requirement.
![€20 ETIAS Fee Confirmed – Visa-Exempt Travellers to Switzerland Face Higher Pre-Travel Costs]()
Swiss airports will integrate ETIAS checks into automated border gates being rolled out under the new Entry/Exit System, meaning the €20 charge becomes an additional cost of doing business for companies that rely on quick client visits or conference speakers. Mobility managers are advised to update travel policies, invitation letters and expense guidelines to reflect both the fee and recommended 96-hour lead-time.
Consumer-protection officials warn of a proliferation of fraudulent websites already offering “express” ETIAS approvals; a multilingual campaign will launch in Swiss stations and airports early this year. Privacy groups are also preparing legal challenges, arguing that coupling biometric EES data with ETIAS security screening amounts to mass travel surveillance.
In the medium term, ETIAS data will feed into Switzerland’s migration-risk assessments, potentially making it easier to deny entry to repeat overstayers. Companies should therefore ensure that travelling staff accurately declare prior Schengen visits to avoid inadvertent red flags.
ETIAS will operate much like the U.S. ESTA: applicants complete an online form covering passport data, travel history and security questions. Most approvals should arrive within minutes and remain valid for three years or until the passport expires. Children under 18 and adults over 70 are exempt from the fee but must still apply.
For travelers who prefer expert assistance, VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers step-by-step ETIAS guidance, automated reminders, and corporate dashboard tools that streamline bulk applications and payment tracking—handy features for both vacationers and corporate mobility teams adapting to the new €20 requirement.
Swiss airports will integrate ETIAS checks into automated border gates being rolled out under the new Entry/Exit System, meaning the €20 charge becomes an additional cost of doing business for companies that rely on quick client visits or conference speakers. Mobility managers are advised to update travel policies, invitation letters and expense guidelines to reflect both the fee and recommended 96-hour lead-time.
Consumer-protection officials warn of a proliferation of fraudulent websites already offering “express” ETIAS approvals; a multilingual campaign will launch in Swiss stations and airports early this year. Privacy groups are also preparing legal challenges, arguing that coupling biometric EES data with ETIAS security screening amounts to mass travel surveillance.
In the medium term, ETIAS data will feed into Switzerland’s migration-risk assessments, potentially making it easier to deny entry to repeat overstayers. Companies should therefore ensure that travelling staff accurately declare prior Schengen visits to avoid inadvertent red flags.
