Visas & entry rulesBy Clever Tourists · Published · Last updated
Day-trippers entering Venice's historic center between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM on designated fee days must pay the Contributo di Accesso (access fee) and carry the QR code that proves it: €5 (≈ $5.6) if you pay at least 4 days ahead, €10 (≈ $11.2) if you pay within 3 days of your visit. Overnight guests don't pay but still need a free exemption QR code. The 2026 season ran on 60 days between April 3 and July 26, so there is no fee right now; for 2027 the city council has approved 72 fee days from Good Friday (March 26) into mid-August, pending sign-off from the national government in Rome.
The fee applies to day-trippers aged 14 and older entering the Ancient City of Venice (Centro Storico) between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM on designated fee days, which cluster around spring and early-summer weekends and holidays. Arrive after 4:00 PM, or on a day outside the calendar, and there's nothing to pay.
The lagoon islands (Murano, Burano, Torcello, the Lido) are not covered, as long as you aren't walking through the historic center during enforcement hours on the way. Cruise passengers on shore excursions are not exempt.
Price depends on when you pay, not how long you stay: €5 (≈ $5.6) per person when paid at least four days before your visit, €10 (≈ $11.2) per person within three days or on the day. The €10 (≈ $11.2) tier exists to push people to plan ahead, so pay as soon as your date is fixed.
The 2026 calendar covered 60 days between April 3 and July 26, up from 29 days in the 2024 trial and 54 in 2025. If you're visiting this autumn or winter, you won't be asked for a QR code.
For 2027 the city council has approved 72 fee days, starting on Good Friday (March 26) and running into mid-August. Officials shelved talk of raising the price to €30 (≈ $33) or more, and reporting says the top rate stays at €10 (≈ $11.2) for now; the plan still needs approval from the government in Rome, so treat dates as provisional until the official calendar is published at cda.ve.it.
If you sleep in registered accommodation anywhere in the Municipality of Venice (including Mestre and the Lido), you don't pay the access fee because the nightly tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno) on your lodging bill covers you.
The catch: the exemption isn't automatic. Register on the official portal under the exemption option with your accommodation details and dates to generate a free QR code for each person, and keep it on your phone during your stay. Other exempt groups include Veneto residents, students and workers in the historic center, and people visiting family or health facilities, and most of them also need to register.
1. Go to the official portal at cda.ve.it (only use the official city site; lookalike sites add fees).
2. Choose payment if you're visiting for the day, or the exemption option if you're staying overnight in the municipality.
3. Enter each traveler aged 14+ and your visit date, then pay by card (or enter your accommodation details for an exemption).
4. Save the QR codes to your phone (a screenshot works) or print them.
Controllers check QR codes at the main arrival points: Venezia Santa Lucia railway station, Piazzale Roma bus terminal, Tronchetto, and water-transport stops, with spot checks inside the historic center.
Getting caught without a valid code on a fee day means a fine of €50 to €300 (≈ $56–335), plus the fee itself. Planning the wider trip? See Do I Need a Visa to Visit Italy? and ETIAS and EES explained, and our Venice travel guide.
Visitors with a hotel booking in the city are exempt from the fee, and Venice is at its best early and late, after the day-trippers leave. Compare areas in where to stay in Venice, see how many days in Venice, and, if you base yourself there, the best day trips from Venice.
No. The 2026 season ended on July 26. The next season is scheduled to start on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, with 72 fee days running into mid-August, pending final government approval.
€5 (≈ $5.6) per person if you pay at least four days before your visit, €10 (≈ $11.2) if you pay within three days or on the day. Children under 14 are exempt.
No, overnight guests in registered accommodation in the Municipality of Venice are exempt because they pay the hotel tourist tax, but you still need to register on cda.ve.it for a free exemption QR code.
The fee only applies between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM on fee days. Arrive outside that window and no fee or QR code is required.
No. The access fee only covers entering the historic center. Museums and churches need separate tickets.
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