Venice Access Fee 2026 — 60 Valid Days, Prices and QR-Code Booking
In a nutshell: The Venice access fee 2026 (officially the Contributo di Accesso) applies on 60 valid days between 3 April and 26 July 2026, each time between 8:30am and 4:00pm. Day visitors aged 14 and over pay €5 with advance booking (at least 3 days ahead) or €10 at short notice. Overnight guests, children under 14, residents of the Veneto, commuters and students are exempt — but must register online and carry a QR code. Anyone caught without a valid ticket at a check pays a fine of €50 to €300.
On which days does the access fee apply in 2026?
The 60 valid days are concentrated in spring and early summer — the main travel season without the high-summer heat. The focus: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between Easter and the end of July, plus all bridge days and public holidays in this window. On weekdays in May and June the fee is not due — if you are flexible, plan your arrival deliberately for a Tuesday or Wednesday.
You will find the complete list with every single one of the 60 days on our overview page about the access fee — including a calendar view that shows at a glance whether your planned travel date is affected: → Venice access fee 2026 — full calendar and booking
Who has to pay, who is exempt?
Liable to pay
All day visitors aged 14 and over who enter the historic centre of Venice between 8:30am and 4:00pm and do not stay overnight in the historic city that day. This also applies to cruise passengers whose ship is berthed at Marghera, Fusina or the Marittima terminal and who travel to St Mark’s Square during the day.
Exempt (with registration requirement)
- Overnight guests in the historic city — a hotel booking or holiday apartment counts as proof, plus the municipal soggiorno tax is charged separately anyway.
- Children under 14, exempt as a rule.
- Residents of the Veneto, commuters from Mestre and the surrounding area.
- Students and employees with a workplace in Venice.
- People with a disability and their companion.
- Family members of Venetians, property owners.
- People travelling for school, work, healthcare or a family visit.
Important: exempt people must also register in advance via the official cda.ve.it portal and receive a QR code to show at spot checks. Without registration there can be difficulties at the checkpoints, even if there is no legal obligation to pay.
QR-code ticket — how the booking works
The system is fully digital. Day visitors proceed as follows:
- Register at cda.ve.it.
- Enter the travel date, the number of people and dates of birth.
- Pay by credit card or PayPal (€5 per person with at least 3 days’ lead time, €10 at shorter notice).
- The QR code is sent by email — save it on your smartphone or print it out.
- Show it at the checkpoints (Santa Lucia station, Piazzale Roma, some vaporetto landing stages) during a spot check.
The QR code is personalised and non-transferable — so one code per person. Families with children under 14 book together, and the QR code then lists the exemption reasons.
Fines for violations — what happens without a valid ticket?
Anyone who cannot show a valid QR code at a spot check pays a fine of €50 to €300 — the amount is set by the inspecting officer, depending on the circumstances. Those who accept and pay on the spot get away with the minimum amount. Those who appeal risk the maximum of €300 plus an administrative fee.
Since its introduction in 2024 the city has kept detailed statistics: around 8,000 fines were issued in 2024 and about 11,000 in 2025 — so the checks are becoming more intensive. For 2026 the city police expect a further rising rate, above all on Carnival and bridge-day weekends.
Data-protection fine against Venice — what happened in 2025
In autumn 2025, the Italian data-protection authority imposed a €10,000 fine on the city of Venice. The reason: the previous ticket processing stored too much personal data — including from groups that are exempt from payment anyway. The city had to make the system GDPR-compliant by mid-2026.
For travellers this means: the data processing has been significantly leaner since spring 2026, with less personal information stored in the portal. The basic registration requirement, however, remains.
Tips for planning your 2026 trip
- Travelling flexibly? Then choose weekdays between Tuesday and Thursday — usually no fee due, fewer crowds.
- More than 6 hours on site? Then add an overnight stay — you are then automatically exempt and save the fee.
- Use the early-bird saving: register at least 3 days before your trip, then €5 instead of €10.
- Be sure to carry the QR code: spot checks at Santa Lucia and Piazzale Roma are frequent — without a code, a €50 minimum fine.
- Bring your hotel receipt: overnight guests should also have their hotel booking with them, in case the exemption registration is not recognised in the system.
Conclusion — the Venice access fee 2026 is a reality
The Contributo di Accesso is a fixed part of trip planning for Venice in 2026. Unlike at its introduction in 2024 (then only 29 days) and in 2025 (54 days), there are now 60 days — the trend points clearly towards “more valid days” in the coming years. If you travel informed, register in advance, save €5 per person and avoid fines. Overnight guests are exempt anyway — so if you are planning a day trip and could spend a night in the lagoon, the overnight option is often the better deal.