EU- paid registration for visa-exempt travellers?

NON-EU citizens who
are exempt from the
requirement for a Schengen
visa, such as American,
Australian and British
passport holders (post
Brexit), may soon need
to register and pay to visit
the EU.
This comes as the
Schengen area is looking
at introducing a compulsory
system of registration,
based on the well-known US
Electronic System for Travel
Authorisation (ESTA), which
will require visa-exempt
international travellers to
register online and pay a
set fee.
A spokesperson for the
EU, told TNW that the
European Commission
was looking at introducing
the Travel Information
and Authorisation System
(ETIAS) in the near future,
although a clear timeline
has not been identified yet.
The ETIAS will allow the
EU to obtain information
from travellers who
previously didn’t have to
provide information when
travelling to the EU, the
spokesperson says.
The American ESTA
currently costs US$14
(R195) per passenger,
and it is expected the EU
will set a similar tariff of
€13 (R203).