Switzerland will increase the fee for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) from €7($8) to €20($23) starting January 1, 2026, aligning with a coordinated move across the Schengen Area to finance upgraded border-security and digital-screening systems.
The decision, announced on November 22, 2025, brings Switzerland in line with France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Belgium, and other EU member states that have backed the same price adjustment.
ETIAS, the electronic pre-travel screening required for visa-exempt nationals—including visitors from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and dozens of other countries—must be obtained before entry into the Schengen Area for short stays.
The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said the additional revenue will help fund cybersecurity enhancements, integrate new data-sharing channels with Europol, and support upgrades to the Schengen Information System (SIS) aimed at faster detection of identity fraud and high-risk travellers.
The fee increase follows months of technical consultations within the Schengen governance framework, where member states agreed that ETIAS’s initial €7 price point was insufficient to support the expanded border-tech ecosystem now being deployed across Europe. The 2026 adjustment marks the first major price revision since ETIAS was introduced.
Travel requirement
For travellers, the financial impact remains limited. ETIAS approvals are valid for three years or until the passport expires, meaning the effective cost per trip stays relatively low.
Still, mobility managers and corporate travel teams are being advised to update budgets—particularly for multi-country assignments beginning in 2026 or for firms that routinely send staff to Switzerland or the wider Schengen region.
Companies that bulk-pay ETIAS fees for project personnel could see administrative costs nearly triple, prompting some employers to reassess internal billing structures or pass the expense to clients and travelling employees.
Travel-management firms say the increase is unlikely to curb travel demand but may influence how frequently companies dispatch staff for short-term technical interventions.
Swiss border authorities expect operational gains once ETIAS is fully synchronised with the Entry/Exit System (EES), the EU’s new biometric registration platform. Airports in Zurich, Geneva and Basel anticipate smoother passenger flows as ETIAS approvals and EES enrolments are combined into a single QR code for faster scanning at automated gates.
What you should know
Tourism and aviation groups, including Switzerland Tourism, have endorsed the fee adjustment, arguing that predictable funding for border-security technology is preferable to ad-hoc Schengen-wide surcharges or sudden airport security levies. Industry associations say the alignment across Schengen countries ensures Switzerland’s competitiveness remains intact, with no pricing disadvantage relative to neighbouring destinations.
For businesses that rely on frequent travel by U.S. or British engineers and specialists, consultants recommend bundling trips so that a single ETIAS approval covers multiple missions.
The SEM has committed to issuing multilingual employer guidance before the end of Q2 2026, outlining compliance timelines, payment processes and transition measures.
