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It’s set to be a bumper year for travel changes in Europe, with controls tightening around everything from borders to mass tourism.
To preserve the peace between residents and visitors, more destinations are introducing new rules and regulations impacting travel preparations, conduct and prices. As the EU continues to digitise its borders, tourists entering the bloc will face extra checks.
Here’s a rundown of some of the most significant trends and changes in Europe’s travel rules to expect in 2026.
Europe tightens border controls
EU Entry/Exit System (EES) completes rollout
The EU finally launched its new Entry/Exit System (EES) on 12 October 2025. The phased rollout is expected to be complete by 10 April 2026.
Rather than having their passports stamped, non-EU travellers crossing external Schengen borders will have to provide biometric data – including passport data, fingerprints and a facial image – electronically on entry.
The system will cover all EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The goal is to identify visa overstayers and combat illegal migration by verifying travellers’ identities, strengthening security checks, and maintaining a register of entries in EU databases.
Teething issues with the new system caused multiple delays to the launch throughout 2025, with the scheduled November launch at the UK Port of Dover stalled for car passengers until 2026 to prevent Christmas travel chaos.
While countries overcome this bumpy start, travellers should anticipate delays when entering some Schengen countries – though in the long run, the new system promises to streamline EU border checks.
ETIAS delayed until late 2026
ETIAS – the European Travel Information and Authorisation System – was initially due to launch following the EES in 2025, but has now been delayed until late 2026.
It will require visa-exempt tourists from certain countries to complete an online authorisation before entering the Schengen Area, at a cost of €20 to most travellers.
This will provide them with an electronic entry permit allowing for stays of up to 90 days within 180 days. The ETIAS is valid for three years.
UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to be enforced in February
The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) was soft-launched in October 2023 but has not yet been strictly enforced.
This will change as of February 2026, when tourists from 85 countries, who do not currently need a visa, will be required to apply for a digital permit for short stays in the UK.
The application currently costs £16 (€18.20) and is valid for two years on stays of up to six months.
Travel costs continue to rise across Europe
Travellers weren’t only been squeezed by permit fees and inflation in 2025: tourist taxes, Airbnb crackdowns and other measures to curb mass tourism made exploring Europe more expensive.
Restrictions on short-term accommodation were announced in Paris, Barcelona and beyond – primarily to combat inflated rent prices for locals living in popular tourist towns and cities.
This reduced the availability of cheap, Airbnb-style accommodation – and it’s set to continue into 2026. This January, Budapest became the latest to join the trend by introducing restrictions on short-term rentals in its bustling 6th District.
Pushing prices up further are nightly tourist taxes introduced in countries like Iceland, Spain, Norway and the UK– and even the continuation of the day-tripper fee in Venice, Italy. These measures aim to fund tourist infrastructure and prevent popular destinations from being overrun by visitors.
In 2026, Bucharest will introduce a nightly tourist tax despite backlash from hoteliers.
This all ties into a shift towards so-called ‘quality tourism’ in Europe, with many countries attempting to move away from mass, budget tourism and instead attract a smaller and more sustainable number of high-spending visitors.
Some destinations are passing on inflated operating costs to visitors. Snow sports enthusiasts have been particularly hard hit, with ski passes in Switzerland, Austria and Italy jumping by as much as 40 per cent compared to 2021 in some resorts due to soaring energy bills and maintenance fees.
Europe cracks down on badly behaved tourists
While cost-hiking measures serve a dual purpose of cutting visitor numbers and raising funds, other new rules are aimed more squarely at curbing undesirable tourist behaviour.
San Sebastián is the latest Spanish city to ban smoking on its beaches, while Portugal’s Albufeira last year announced fines for scantily clad tourists.
A recent ban on party boats in the Spanish port of Palma, meanwhile, aims to free up infrastructure and address noise complaints from residents.
In France, clampdowns start before tourists even touch down. As of last November, air passengers flouting rules or causing disruption on flights could face fines of up to €20,000 and even boarding bans for up to four years.
Passenger rights in 2026: What’s changing?
Rumours have been swirling about a crackdown on the money-grabbing antics of budget airlines. Europeans have been teased with the tantalising idea of fee-free cabin bags and better compensation for increasingly frequent flight delays.
But intense pressure from the aviation industry is putting the changes in jeopardy. An EU lawto improve air passenger rights has been under discussion for 11 years now – but airlines say the changes will inevitably result in ticket price hikes.
Some EU member states have even fought to reduce passenger rights by raising the three-hour compensation rule to four hours.
With no consensus reached on the issues, mediation talks are set to continue into early 2026.
A recent decision by low-cost airline Ryanair to stop accepting paper boarding passes has also raised rights concerns. One country, Portugal, has warned that the airline’s new measures risk non-compliance with air passenger rights.
Portugal’s aviation authority cautioned the airline that it cannot refuse passengers boarding with physical boarding passes.
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