In ongoing efforts to combat overtourism, Venice is doubling down on its tourist entry fee. Following a 29-day trial run in 2024, the floating city has reintroduced and expanded the tourist entry fee project (also known as the “Venice Access Fee”). In 2025, the tax is higher and is required during 54 days during the city’s high season.
“We don’t want to create any inconvenience; rather, we want to regulate these activities, protect the city, and ensure quality for the visitors who stay with us,” Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on social media.
In light of that, there are notable exceptions to the fee, which is primarily aimed at day-trippers and excludes overnight hotel guests and travelers who are visiting family or friends. Here’s what Venice-bound travelers need to know about the new policy—and how city leaders hope it will create a better experience for both tourists and residents.
The expanded 2025 tourist tax fee and schedule
Following the 2024 trial, day-trippers 14 years and older who are visiting Venice on certain dates between April 18 and July 27, 2025, must purchase a €5 entry ticket (about US$5) in advance to enter the city on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. That cost doubles to €10 when tickets are booked less than four days in advance.
The fee is mandatory every day April 18–May 4 and then every weekend and public holiday through July 27.
How travelers purchase the Venice entry tickets
As in 2024, access tickets will be available online. Once tickets are purchased, visitors download a QR code they must present to inspectors if requested at designated entry points, such as the area in front of the train station. Visitors without tickets risk fines.
Tourists who are staying overnight in hotels do not have to pay the access fee because hotel guests already pay a per-night tourist tax. Instead, their hotels should provide them with a QR code.
Who is exempt from the tourist tax
Residents of Italy’s Veneto region, visitors under age 14, people with disabilities, and those visiting relatives or friends in Venice are exempt from the tourist tax. Finally, the entry ticket is valid from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., which means travelers who arrive outside of those times will not be required to pay it.
In recent years, La Serenissima, as Venice is sometimes known, has been grappling with overtourism. In an effort to balance the effects of millions of tourists on city infrastructure with residents’ needs, the city ran a pilot program in spring this year, during which visitors to the floating city paid a €5 entry fee on 29 “high traffic” days. One of the objectives was to understand the flow of tourists, as infrastructure management is a top priority for city officials.
Why Venice introduced the tourist tax
“This year’s trial has proven useful in easing the influx of day-trippers on what we might call ‘black’ or ‘red’ alert days,” Brugnaro said at an October 24 press conference. According to figures from the trial, 485,000 people bought the entry ticket, which generated an estimated €2.43 million. The project cost approximately €3 million, underscoring Brugnaro’s claim that “we are not interested in making money but in making Venice livable and respectable.”
However, not everyone supports the initiative. Some critics argue that the tax isn’t decreasing visitor numbers, while others say it could discourage potential visitors.
A bonus of the tourist tax
One goal of the expanded schedule for 2025 is to collect data for future management of tourism and infrastructure, but another is that the city hopes the access fee will encourage a more even distribution of visitors throughout the year. And for savvy travelers, that’s a good idea because Venice is much less crowded in the off-season but just as beautiful. In fact, according to a former tour guide, winter is “hands down” the best time for a visit—with many fewer tourists and (bonus!) no entry fee for anyone who does come during that time.
