Venice has always been one of the world’s most beautiful and famous cities. If you’re planning a visit, you’ve probably heard about Venice’s “new tourist tax,” which has left a lot of travelers confused. Recent changes mean there’s more than one type of charge, depending on your plans and where you stay. Whether you are a day-tripper, overnight guest, or someone just stopping by, learning about Venice’s tourist taxes can help you avoid any surprises while keeping your trip smooth and stress-free. For a deeper look at Venice attractions and tips, check out this comprehensive Venice travel page.
Venice’s Two Tourist Charges: What’s the Difference?
People talk about Venice’s “tourist tax” as if it’s just one fee, but the reality is more complicated. There are actually two main charges:
- The Access Fee (contributo di accesso): A new entry fee for day-trippers, required on busy spring and summer days if you just visit for a few hours and don’t stay overnight.
- Overnight Tourist Tax (imposta di soggiorno): This is an older and separate nightly fee you pay only if you actually sleep in Venice at a hotel, apartment, or other accommodation. Most Italian cities have something similar.
This guide will focus mainly on the Access Fee, because that’s the newer system and is what confuses the most visitors. The main thing to remember: you only pay one charge, never both on the same day. Day-trippers pay the Access Fee on specific days; overnight guests pay the nightly tourist tax.
What Is the Venice Access Fee and Why Does It Exist?
The Access Fee is a ticket system introduced by Venice city officials to help manage crowds and maintain the city’s ancient buildings and fragile lagoon environment. Too many day visitors at once have been causing problems, think crowded bridges, slow-moving lines, and even damage to old stone pavements, so the city decided to experiment with this new charge.
The fee only applies to specific days, mainly holidays and busy weekends in the spring and summer, when the crowds get intense. It helps Venice gather better data on how many people enter and when, and the money collected goes straight to city upkeep, extra cleaning, and better visitor services.
Timeline: How the Access Fee Started and Evolved
For years, Venice only had the standard overnight tax, just like Rome or Florence. Here’s how the Access Fee rolled out:
- Pilot Launch: In its first season, the fee was required on 29 extra-busy days between late April and July.
- Expansion: After studying the results, Venice increased the number of days it would charge the Access Fee, reaching 54 days the following spring and summer.
- Looking Ahead: In the next season, officials plan to charge for 60 days, mostly on weekends and big event dates from April through July. The rules may change a little each year, so always check official sites before your visit.
When and Where Does the Access Fee Apply?
The Access Fee only matters if you plan to enter Venice’s historic center (centro storico, including famous sites like St Mark’s, Rialto, and the islands of Giudecca and San Michele) on certain days between roughly 8:30 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon. Outside those dates and times, you’ll never be asked for the fee at all. Also, the fee does not cover the “minor” lagoon islands like Murano, Burano, Torcello, Lido, and Sant’Erasmo, unless future rules change.
Visualize Venice like a cluster of islands: the main city where you see gondolas, most churches, and famous art sites, plus the two satellite islands (Giudecca and San Michele), all make up the “Access Fee area.” The mainland (Mestre) isn’t covered, nor are the smaller islands known for glass (Murano) or colorful houses (Burano).
Fee Geography Explained
| Area | Access Fee Applies? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Venice Historic Center (plus Giudecca, San Michele) | Yes | Main visitor area with attractions |
| Murano, Burano, Torcello, Lido, Pellestrina, Mazzorbo, Sant’Erasmo, other minor islands | No | As of current rules (always double-check) |
| Mestre and Mainland | No | Just the usual overnight tax if you stay there |
| Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto, Maritime Station, Santa Lucia station (if only transiting, not entering Historic Center) | No | Transiting does not trigger the fee |
How Much Is the Access Fee and How Do You Pay?
The fee is straightforward, but changes depending on when you book:
- €5 per person (age 14+) if you buy your ticket at least 4 days before you visit
- €10 per person if you buy less than 4 days before your visit (including day-of or at the last minute)
You pay online through the city’s official portals. When you pay, you receive a digital QR code, a simple email or downloadable PDF to show on your phone or print out.
Step-by-Step: How To Pay the Access Fee
- Go to the official booking site cda.ve.it or cda.veneziaunica.it.
- Select your visit date(s), number of people in your group (only those 14+ count for payment), and indicate if you need a regular ticket or are applying for an exemption.
- Pay online by credit or debit card.
- Get your QR code immediately in your inbox. Save it to your phone (or print a copy just in case your battery dies).
- If you book last-minute or prefer to pay in person, you can pay at authorized tobacconists or kiosks, including at Santa Lucia train station, though these almost always charge the higher €10 rate. You’ll still get a QR code on the spot.
City officials perform random checks at busy entry points like Santa Lucia station, Piazzale Roma bus terminal, and even at some vaporetto docks. There are no turnstiles or physical barriers. If asked and you can’t show a valid QR code (and you aren’t exempt), you risk a fine between €50 and €300, plus the missed fee itself.
Who Has To Pay the Venice Access Fee?
This is where things get tricky. Not every visitor pays! It depends on your trip style, your age, and the reason for your visit.
Who Must Pay
- Anyone 14 years old or older
- Entering the historic city on a fee day between 8:30 and 16:00
- Not staying overnight at an official accommodation in Venice that collects the tourist tax
This usually means day-trippers coming in and out on the same day. This group includes visitors from cruise ships, groups doing quick tours from other cities or the lakes, and those who are staying outside official boundaries.
Who Is Exempt (But Usually Must Register for Exemption)
- All overnight guests in official Venice accommodation (hotel, B&B, apartment, etc.). You’ll pay the regular overnight tax instead, and your hotel or host will help you get an exemption QR code.
- Venice residents and people born in Venice (with ID)
- Children under 14 (no fee and no need to register)
- Workers, business owners, students, people with medical appointments, and local commuters (must usually apply for an exemption in advance)
- Day visitors only to the minor islands (Murano, Burano, Torcello, Lido, etc.)
- People only transiting key entry zones (not entering historic Venice)
For most types of exemption (except for little kids and locals), you’ll still go through the online portal, fill in your info, and receive a QR code showing your exemption status to present during spot checks.
Comparison Table: Who Pays What?
| Type of Visitor | Access Fee? | Overnight Tax? | Registration Needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day-tripper (not staying in Venice) | Yes (€5 or €10) | No | Buy Access Fee QR code |
| Overnight guest (hotel/B&B in Venice) | No* | Yes (varies €1–€5/night) | Register for exemption QR code* |
| Child under 14 | No | Maybe, if overnight >10 years old (50%) | No (Access Fee) |
| Venetian resident/worker/student/other exempt | No | No | Register for exemption QR code |
*Overnight guests register for exemption; usually, your accommodation arranges this for you.
How Does the Overnight Tourist Tax Work?
The overnight tax has existed for years. If you sleep in accommodation anywhere within Venice’s municipality, including the historic city, any of the lagoon islands, or Mestre, you’ll see this tax added to your bill at checkout. The amount depends on where you stay, the type of accommodation, its official star rating, and whether it’s high or low season. Typically, it’s between €1 and €5 per night, and only for the first five nights (after that, you’re off the hook). Kids under 10 are always exempt; 10–16s get a 50% discount. You’ll pay this tax directly to your hotel or host, and it will often show as a separate line on your receipt.
This tax funds local upkeep and visitor services. If you want to cut costs, note that staying on the mainland (Mestre) means a lower tax rate. But remember , if you sleep in Mestre and come into the historic center during the Access Fee times on an active day, you’ll still owe the Access Fee for each visit.
Example Scenarios: What to Do in Real Life
Understanding these rules is much easier through examples. Here are three common travel situations and what you need to do in each case:
Scenario A: Day-Trip From Florence on a Busy Saturday
A family of four (two adults, a 16-year-old, and a 9-year-old) takes the train, arriving at Venice Santa Lucia at 9:30 am and leaving in the evening. It’s a Saturday in May, and that day is on the Access Fee calendar.
- The two adults and the 16-year-old must each pay the Access Fee, either €5 each if booked four days early or €10 each if at the last minute.
- The 9-year-old is exempt and does not need a QR code.
- No overnight tax applies because they’re not staying the night.
Scenario B: Three-Night Stay in a Central Hotel Covering a Fee Day
A couple books a hotel right by St Mark’s Square from Friday to Monday, covering a Saturday that is a fee day.
- The couple pays the overnight tourist tax for their three nights (check with your hotel on the amount, up to €5/night per person).
- They do not pay the Access Fee, but their hotel will (or should) handle their exemption and provide them with an exemption QR code to show during any Access Fee checks.
Scenario C: Staying in Mestre and Commuting Into Venice
A family picks a budget hotel in Mestre for four nights and plans to travel into Venice three times; two of those days fall on the Access Fee calendar.
- They pay a cheaper overnight tourist tax in Mestre (location-based, separate from Venice proper).
- Every time they enter the historic center on a fee day during Access Fee hours, any family member age 14+ must pay for a QR code (or register for an exemption if eligible).
Practical Tips to Avoid Surprises
Here are some easy ways to sail past the Access Fee system and enjoy Venice hassle-free:
- Book ahead: If you know your dates, pay at least four days early to lock in the lower €5 fee.
- Check the calendar: Visit on non-fee days or outside the Access Fee season if you want to avoid paying altogether (like midweek in January or late summer after July).
- Keep your QR code safe: Take a screenshot, email it to yourself, and keep a printed copy, especially if your phone battery might not last a long travel day.
- Verify fees and exemptions before you go: Official sites update each year; rules can change and the number of fee days may rise.
- Remember who needs to register: Most exemptions (except local under-14s) require getting a QR code via the official portal.
Controversies and the Future of Venice’s Access Fee
Venice welcomes something like 25–30 million visitors each year. Many are day-trippers who crowd the streets for just a few hours and put stress on local services. Venice’s Access Fee is a bold experiment to manage these numbers. In its pilot, the city raised millions of euros used for better cleaning, safety patrols, and tourist services. Still, the fee hasn’t dramatically reduced crowds, and people debate if it’s a real solution. Some locals argue for stricter rules on short-term rentals and more support for residents, but city leaders see the Access Fee as just one tool among many (alongside limits on large tour groups and bans on those loudspeakers you hear in group tours).
No one knows exactly what the future holds. The city is committed to experimenting and improving the system each year, based on new data. For you as a traveler, the key is to stay informed, check official sites, and plan ahead. Venice will always be worth visiting. Just be ready for its new reality, and you’ll be able to focus on the magic, not the paperwork.