New travel rules will come into force in Europe this year

In 2026, new travel regulations will come into effect in several European countries to maintain a stable coexistence between tourists and local residents. The rules include both stricter EU border checks as part of the digitization of borders, as well as changes to tourist taxes and other restrictions. Changes in European travel rules and expected important trends in 2026 were presented by Euronews.

The EU officially approved the bloc's new Entry/Exit System (EES) in October 2025. The phase-in of the updated rules is expected to be completed by September 2026. As part of the regulations, citizens of non-EU countries traveling for a short period to a European country in the Schengen area will be required to submit their biometric data - including passport data, fingerprints and facial images - at the border. A new system for stamping passports when crossing the border will replace it.

The system covers all EU countries, except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The purpose of the new regulations is to identify persons who violate the visa deadline and fight against illegal migration. The EU plans to do this by strengthening security checks and registering in EU databases. In the long term, the new system also aims to simplify EU border checks.

The launch of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), originally planned for 2025, has been delayed until the end of 2026. ETIAS is a travel authorization for citizens of visa-free travel countries, which also applies to citizens of Georgia. Before entering the Schengen zone, travelers will have to go through an online authorization, the fee of which will probably be 20 euros for some countries. FYI, similar to a travel authorization requester Bi operates in the US and Canada as well.

In the United Kingdom, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) came into effect in October 2023, but has not yet been fully enforced. This will change from February 2026 as the UK will require tourists from the 85 countries that currently do not require a visa to apply for a digital permit for short-term visits.

In addition, European states are also considering increasing domestic taxes for citizens of foreign countries. Airbnb restrictions and measures to combat mass tourism are driving up travel costs. For example, to protect local residents from rising rent prices, restrictions on short-term apartment rentals have been put in place in Paris, Barcelona and Budapest. Among them, according to the adopted regulation, Barcelona prohibits the issuance of licenses for short-term rental of apartments.

Plus, in countries like Iceland, Spain, Norway and the UK, add one night's hotel stay Bit tax will also be implemented. Despite the protests of hotel owners, the same type of tax will be implemented in Bucharest from 2026. Venice also became the first city in the world to impose an entry fee for tourists. Taxes will be used to decongest touristic cities and finance infrastructure.

Additionally, a number of European countries have introduced regulations aimed directly at curbing unwanted tourist behavior. For example, in the Spanish city of San Sebastián, tobacco consumption is prohibited, and in Albufeira, Portugal, there is a restriction on clothing — for example, citizens will be fined up to 1,500 euros if they move around the city in beachwear. In France, since November of last year, those passengers who cause a delay in the flight can be fined up to 20,000 euros.

Controls on entry into the European Union will be tightened

forbes.ge

Post author: travelnews.ge