17th January 2024 marked the official introduction of the long rumoured tourist fee to enter Venice. This is known as the Venice Access Fee. In the future, day-trippers will need to pay a 5 euro fee to enter the city. Here’s all the facts so you know to make sure you stay within the rules when you visit Venice.
Why has a fee been introduced to enter Venice?
The Venice Access Fee was introduced with the aim of striking a balance between preserving the daily life of Venice residents and providing an exceptional experience for visitors.
In recent years, I think all can agree that Venice has been the victim of over tourism. To put it in perspective, Euro News reported in 2023 that as many as 110,000 tourists a day pass through Venice in high season. If you consider that Venice is now home to approximately 50,000 permanent residents, this is a staggering number.
Just three decades ago, Venice’s residents would have numbered 120,000. But over tourism has left its mark on Venice. Property prices have rocketed, with many converting what could be family homes into far more lucrative holiday accommodation. The rising cost of housing has driven out many, so that only the most wealthy can now afford to actually live in Venice.
The impact of overtourism on Venice doesn’t stop there. The sheer volume of visitors also changes the economic balance of the city. Businesses start to cater not for local tastes but for tourists. In short, the food and the goods that shops sell start to lean more towards tourist tastes rather than the tastes of the Venetians that they would have once served.
Once a thriving city, home to a large and proud populations of Venetians, anyone who has visited recently will know that the city can all too often now be swamped with day trippers. The latter are sadly far outnumbering the local residents and overnight visitors.
With so little time in the city, what is all too common is for these day trippers to limit their visits to a very small area around Venice’s most famous landmarks – the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square. This puts a huge strain on Venice’s infrastructure and damages Venice’s fragile buildings. Not only that – it negatively impacts the locals from going about their daily business. And in reality, it’s not a pleasant experience for the tourists either who spend their time jostling through crowds rather than taking in the beauty around them.
The intention is that by implementing a fee to enter on the busiest days of the year, that visitors can enjoy the city’s unique atmosphere without causing overcrowding.
Of course, this alone won’t solve the issue of overtourism in Venice. Many more measures will be needed. Efforts will need to be made to grow the number of permanent residents in the city, the authorities will need to clamp down on illegal vacation rentals and measures will need to be put in place to encourage longer stays.
However, the Venice Access Fee is a good start. It should hopefully discourage daily tourism during peak periods. It also means that, for the time being at least, UNESCO has refrained from adding Venice to the World Heritage in Danger list.
When do you need to pay to enter Venice?
The Venice Access Fee applies to day visitors sightseeing in Venice on 29 designated dates in the year. For 2024, these are:
April 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 2024
May 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 2024
June 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 2024
July 6, 7, 13 and 14 2024
The access fee is charged for anyone arriving between 8.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.
This 5 euro per day fee is applicable only to the historical parts of the city. The islands are also not included.
Who needs to pay the Venice Access Fee?
All day trippers entering Venice on these designated days will need to pay the Venice Access Fee unless they have an exemption voucher. Please note that, even if you fall into one of the exemption categories, registering and obtaining the appropriate exemption voucher is required to benefit from the exemption.
A full list of those exempt from paying the Venice Access fee (but who must obtain the necessary exemption certificate) can be found at the official website. It includes groups such as students, commuters and employees.
The only exception to this is residents of the Municipality of Venice and individuals born in the Municipality of Venice who are both excluded from paying the access fee. They are not required to obtain an exemption voucher but must be able to prove their exemption status by presenting a document certifying it. Similarly, minors under the age of 14 are excluded from the payment of the access fee and do not need to go through the process of obtaining an official exemption certificate. Instead, to prove their age, they must be able to present a suitable identity document.
How do you pay the Venice Access Fee?
The launch of the official website means that visitors can already make their payment in advance before visiting the city. Payment is actually quite simple. Payment can be made online at the official Venice Access Fee website.
The system will issue the visitor with a QR code upon payment, simplifying access to the historic centre of Venice.
Anyone who falls into an exemption category will still need to go online to obtain the necessary exemption voucher. This can also be done at the official Venice Access fee website.