The Louvre has increased ticket prices by 45% for tourists from outside the EU

The Louvre in Paris has announced a significant increase in ticket prices for tourists from countries outside the European Union. The new measure will affect visitors from Great Britain, the USA, China, and other countries outside the EEA. This was reported by EuroNews.

From January 14, 2026, citizens of countries that are not members of the European Economic Area will pay 32 euros to visit the museum. This is 10 euros, or 45%, more than the current price of an admission ticket.

The price increase is expected to generate an additional 20 million euros annually. These funds will be used to address the museum's structural problems and finance the capital renovation of the world's most visited art museum.

The decision was made after the high-profile theft of priceless exhibits last month, which revealed serious problems in the institution's security system.

According to France's Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, a differentiated pricing system will be introduced for "all national cultural operators" in the country from 2026. This means that other major tourist attractions may soon follow suit.

The Palace of Versailles is already considering raising the price of individual visits by 3 euros for non-EEA residents.

• On October 19, four people, posing as museum employees, broke into the Louvre. After opening the display cases in the Apollo Gallery, they stole a total of nine pieces of jewelry, one of which – the crown of Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III), encrusted with 1354 diamonds – was lost during their escape.
• Losses from the looting of the Louvre valued at 88 million euros, however, France will not receive any payments for the stolen jewels, because they were not insured.
• After the theft, part of the jewelry collection was moved from the Louvre to of the Bank of France's underground vault.