Louvre Ticket Increase For Non EU Visitors January 2026

The Louvre ticket price increase in Paris, France will make most non European visitors pay €32.00 (EUR), about $37.00 (USD), from January 14, 2026, instead of the current €22.00 (EUR) standard rate. The higher price applies to visitors from outside the European Union and the wider European Economic Area, including many Americans, British travelers, and long haul markets from Asia and the Middle East. For non EU travelers planning 2026 Paris itineraries, that means revising museum budgets, reconsidering pass products, and learning which categories, including disabled visitors, can still enter free of charge.

In plain terms, the Louvre ticket price increase will raise costs for most non EU and non EEA visitors from January 14, 2026, while keeping lower or free pricing in place for EU residents, younger visitors, and disabled travelers who qualify for exemptions.

Who Pays The New Louvre Ticket Price In 2026

According to museum statements and multiple reports, the standard Louvre ticket for non EU and non EEA adults will rise 45 percent, from €22.00 (EUR) to €32.00 (EUR), for visits starting January 14, 2026. The higher rate applies to people from outside the European Union and countries in the European Economic Area, a category that includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. EU and EEA nationals keep the current €22.00 (EUR) price point, so two visitors standing in the same line may still pay different amounts depending on passport and residence.

The Louvre will continue to offer free admission for several groups, including visitors under 18, and residents of the European Economic Area under 26, provided they show proof of age and residence. The museum also keeps monthly free evening entry for all visitors on the first Friday of most months. These policies, combined with the nationality based pricing split, make age, residency, and visit timing more important for trip planning in 2026.

The museum expects the higher non EU ticket price to generate roughly €15 million to €20 million (EUR) per year in additional revenue. That money will help fund a six year security and renovation program launched after the October 19, 2025 jewel heist and a series of structural problems that have led to partial gallery closures.

Why The Louvre Is Raising Prices

The price increase is part of a broader project to modernize the Louvre under the Louvre New Renaissance plan, which aims to upgrade aging infrastructure, improve crowd management, and create a dedicated Mona Lisa gallery by around 2031. French President Emmanuel Macron flagged higher prices for non EU visitors earlier in the year as one funding tool for this decade long revamp.

Security is a major driver. The jewel robbery in the Apollon Gallery in October 2025, valued at around $100 million (USD), exposed serious gaps in surveillance and response systems. In the weeks that followed, French state auditors urged the museum to prioritize security spending over new acquisitions, and the Louvre began rolling out more than 20 emergency measures, including a plan to install about 100 additional exterior cameras by the end of 2026.

Structural issues add pressure. A recent inspection found parts of the complex suffering from water damage and other long term wear, leading to temporary closures of some areas while engineers review safety and conservation conditions. The renovation budget is expected to reach hundreds of millions of euros, and the museum is effectively asking non EU visitors to shoulder more of that burden.

How The New Price Affects Typical Paris Itineraries

For many non EU visitors, especially first timers, the Louvre is a non negotiable stop alongside the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, and perhaps another major museum such as the Musée d Orsay. In practical terms, the 2026 ticket price change adds €10.00 (EUR) per adult to a standard Louvre visit, which can be significant for families or small groups. A family of four adults from the United States or the United Kingdom could see their Louvre line item rise from €88.00 (EUR) to €128.00 (EUR).

Travelers using multi day museum passes will have to read the fine print. If pass issuers adjust their pricing to reflect the Louvre increase, the break even point for passes versus single tickets may shift, especially for shorter stays of three days or less. For longer trips, our broader [Paris travel guide][1] already encourages travelers to prioritize a small number of anchor museums per day instead of trying to sprint through every option, and the higher Louvre ticket price makes that kind of targeted planning even more useful.

Because the Louvre now requires dated time slots for most visits, travelers who once treated it as a flexible stop between other sightseeing may need to lock in tickets earlier in the planning process, then build the rest of the day around that timed entry. This is especially important on busy summer days or weekend trips when same day time slots may sell out.

Louvre Ticket Rules For Visitors With Disabilities

The biggest exception to the Louvre ticket price increase is for visitors with disabilities. As of late 2025, the museum states clearly that admission is free for disabled visitors and for the person accompanying them, regardless of nationality, as long as they can present supporting documentation at the entrance. That means a non EU visitor who qualifies as disabled and travels with a companion will usually not pay the new €32.00 (EUR) ticket price at all.

The Louvre issues this exemption across several categories, including physical disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, and developmental or learning disabilities, and extends it to an immediate family member or companion. These visitors also receive priority access at reception and entrances, which can significantly reduce waiting times in crowded periods.

Importantly, disabled visitors still need to book a time slot even if they are not paying for admission. On the ticketing site, they should select the appropriate free admission category and reserve a time for themselves and their companion. At the museum, they must be ready to show disability documentation recognized in their home country, such as a disability card, official medical certificate, or equivalent paperwork, along with photo identification.

Planning A Louvre Visit With Access Needs

The museum's accessibility guidance urges visitors with disabilities to plan ahead, not only for tickets but for navigation inside the complex. Wheelchairs, folding stools, and other mobility aids are available free of charge from the visitor assistance desk beneath the Pyramid, in exchange for a piece of identification. The building has lifts, ramps, and adapted routes, but some sections can still be physically demanding because of long corridors and occasional staircases, so planning rest stops is essential.

For visitors with visual impairments, the Louvre offers tactile and audio resources in some areas, and for those with hearing impairments, there are options such as induction loops and adapted guided visits on selected dates. Travelers should confirm which services will be available on their visit date and consider structuring their route around the galleries with the best documented accessibility support.

Time of day matters too. Early mornings and later afternoon slots often mean shorter lines at elevators and less crowding in popular rooms. Visitors with sensory sensitivities or who tire quickly may want to avoid peak midday hours or school holiday periods when noise and density spike. Building in dedicated rest breaks, for example in the courtyards or quieter wings, can make a big difference in comfort.

Renovations, Security, And Gallery Access

Renovation work and tighter security are already shaping how travelers experience the Louvre. After the 2025 jewel heist, the museum closed briefly and later kept the Apollon Gallery area restricted while repairs and investigations continued. Visitors reported heavier screening at entrances, more visible guards, and occasional bottlenecks as some doors stayed shut.

Looking ahead, the Louvre New Renaissance program will likely bring periods of scaffolded facades, redirected flows, and temporary gallery closures through the late 2020s. Officials have already warned that conditions will be "difficult" at times as crews work on both structural upgrades and new crowd management systems. That means travelers should treat any published floor map as a snapshot rather than a guarantee and stay flexible about which specific rooms they will reach in a single visit.

Travelers booking a 2026 visit should assume that high profile areas, especially around the Mona Lisa, may see particularly strict access controls until the new Mona Lisa gallery opens closer to 2031. For now, that can translate into longer single file queues, timed entry to specific rooms, or one way circulation patterns that make backtracking difficult.

Wider French Museum Pricing Trends

The Louvre increase is part of a broader push across major French cultural sites to charge more to non European visitors in order to fund renovations as public subsidies stagnate. Earlier in 2025, reports highlighted plans for higher non European tickets at places such as the Palace of Versailles, Sainte Chapelle, and Château de Chambord, often with similar goals of financing costly restoration projects.

Unions and some museum workers have criticized the Louvre's move as discriminatory, arguing that it conflicts with France's public service mission and creates new barriers for visitors whose countries supplied many of the artifacts on display. Museum leadership counters that the higher fee for non EU visitors is a practical way to stabilize finances while preserving free or low cost access for residents and younger visitors in Europe.

For non EU travelers, the policy reality is simple. Visiting the Louvre in 2026 will cost more if you buy a standard ticket, but free entry and priority access remain in place if you qualify as a disabled visitor with valid documentation. Building that distinction into your plans, and scheduling museum days strategically, will help keep both budgets and energy in balance across a packed Paris itinerary.

Sources

• Paris' Louvre raises prices for non EU tourists to fund renovations
• Paris' Louvre museum to increase ticket price for visitors from outside the European Union
• Louvre to hike ticket prices for non EU visitors by 45 percent next year
• Visitors with physical disabilities
• Accessibility, plan your visit easily taking account of your access needs
• Hours and admission, Plan and book your visit
• Visitor amenities, everything you need to enjoy the Louvre
• French museums plan to raise admission fees for non European visitors
• Louvre robbery, what travelers can expect this week
• Louvre Museum reopens after jewel heist
• Paris Travel Guide, The Ultimate 7 to 10 Day First Timer s Itinerary