British people will have to pay to visit the European Union from next year as a result of Brexit.
Anyone who lives in a non-EU country - including the UK - must apply for a £6 “visa waiver” before they will be allowed in to 30 of the bloc’s member states.
The new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) scheme is due to launch in spring 2025, meaning those planning to go on holiday to the EU next summer will need to get one.
The visa waiver lasts for three years, after which time Brits will have to apply for a new one and pay the fee again. However, it will be free for those aged under 18 and over 70.
Before Brexit, British nationals were able to travel to any other EU country without needing a visa due to freedom of movement.
But that was scrapped as a result of the Leave vote in 2016.
The EU’s website says: “ETIAS travel authorisation is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of these 30 European countries. It is linked to a traveller’s passport. It is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you need to get a new ETIAS travel authorisation.
“With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, you can enter the territory of these European countries as often as you want for short-term stays - normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
“However, it does not guarantee entry. When you arrive, a border guard will ask to see your passport and other documents and verify that you meet the entry conditions.”
A Home Office spokesperson told The Times: “ETIAS is an EU scheme, and we expect them to set out more information on this in due course.
“The government is engaging with the EU Commission to ensure UK nationals, carriers and ports understand the new processes.”
Dr Mike Galsworthy, chair, of the European Movement UK: “The European Union is improving its border control by technological leaps and, thanks to Brexit, we’re simply on the wrong side of it.
“A lot of our common travel freedoms, security and increased bandwidth for movement of people and goods was built within the European framework over decades.
“Stepping outside of it means we create frustrating bottlenecks, pinch points, paperwork and costs for both business and now just our own citizens wanting to travel to our favourite destinations.
“At European Movement, we don’t want to be a non-EU country sellotaped onto the side of our continent - we want to be part of all of that shared data, policing and border security that keeps us all safe together, whilst regaining our full freedoms to travel and live across Europe.
“The case for rejoining only increases.”