#museum-pricing

#museum-pricing

At the start of 2026 France unveiled a new price structure for its national museums - including the Louvre and Versailles - that charges higher prices to non-EU visitors. Readers of The Local share their thoughts on this new law. Americans, UK citizens and Chinese nationals, who are some of the museum's most numerous foreign visitors, will be among those affected, as will tourists from poorer countries. This news has sparked a lot of controversy.

The French Culture Ministry has confirmed to The Local that non-EU citizens who live in France will not have to pay the new higher museum ticket prices for non-European visitors. At the start of 2026 France unveiled a new price structure for its national museums - including the Louvre and Versailles - that charges higher prices to non-EU visitors. However, it was not clear whether this new price hike also affected non-EU citizens who are residents in France and have a carte de séjour.

It was announced in 2025 but came into effect from the start of 2026 - French museums can now charge higher prices to visitors from non-EU countries. There are, however, exemptions for non-EU citizens who are resident in France, as well as concession prices plus a number of groups who qualify for free entry. Here's a breakdown of the new rules;