UK citizens travelling to the EU next summer will have to pay a €7 visa-waiver charge after the EU revealed its timeline for the introduction of new border checks and entry requirements for some visitors.

Ylva Johansson, the EU home affairs commissioner, confirmed that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias), which will require UK citizens (and those from other visa-exempt countries such as the US, Australia and Canada) to apply for a waiver before entering the bloc, was now likely to come into force by May 2025.

The Etias will mirror the US Esta, and require non-EU citizens to apply for the €7 travel authorisation before entering the Schengen area, which includes 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It will last for three years or until your passport expires.

The timeline comes as the EU confirmed that its long-delayed entry and exit system (EES) for Schengen countries would be launched on 10 November.

The EES system will require travellers to provide biometric information, such as fingerprints and facial scans, at the border. It is part of an EU drive to make it harder for criminals or terrorists to enter the bloc using fake passports. The introduction will also lead tonew checks in the UK for those travelling to the EU through the Port of Dover, on LeShuttle in Folkestone and on the Eurostar through London’s St Pancras.

The system, which was supposed to be introduced in 2022, has missed several target dates.

The most recent launch date of 6 October was pushed back last month because of concerns about the readiness of the facilities at some airports.