Paris’s Louvre hikes entry fees for tourists outside EU to fund security, repairs

Paris’s Louvre museum announced on Thursday that it will increase entry fees for most visitors from outside the European Union, meaning tourists from countries such as the United States, Britain and China will soon face a ticket price of $37.

The museum told AFP that the 45-percent rise is intended to generate up to $23 million in additional yearly revenue to support structural upgrades at the world’s most visited art institution, which has been under pressure following the daylight theft of valuable artefacts last month.

Beginning January 14, 2026, travellers from outside the EU, as well as those from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, will see the ticket price rise to 32 euros — 10 euros more than the current rate, according to the museum and staff unions after the board approved the change.

A Louvre report released in 2024 noted that the museum welcomed 8.7 million people that year, with foreign tourists making up 69 percent of the total. Visitors from the United States were the largest group, while those from China ranked third.

The museum told AFP that the price rise aimed to raise up to 20 million euros a year to tackle “structural problems”.

On October 19, a four-person gang raided the Louvre, taking just seven minutes to steal jewellery worth an estimated $102 million before fleeing on scooters.

An official investigation indicated that security equipment was lacking, and the museum’s management has warned about the state of its premises.

Labour unions criticised the decision to scrap the universal entry fee for all nationalities, with one, the CFDT, warning it would be perceived as “discrimination”.

With inputs from agencies