PARIS: The Louvre is moving ahead with higher ticket prices for visitors from outside the European Union, introducing a 10-euro increase as part of efforts to finance a sweeping overhaul of the famed Paris museum.

The price for non-EU nationals will rise from 22 euros to 32 euros (US$25 to $37) starting January 14, a measure approved this week by the Louvre's governing board. Visitors from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, countries in the European Economic Area, will not be subject to the hike.

French President Emmanuel Macron first announced the increase earlier this year as part of a decade-long modernisation plan. The urgency of the project grew after the October 19 heist in which thieves stole 88 million euros ($102 million) worth of crown jewels, exposing vulnerabilities in the museum's ageing infrastructure.

In 2024, the Louvre received 8.7 million visitors, 77 percent of them from abroad. The largest groups came from the United States (13 percent), China (six percent) and Britain (five percent), all of whom will be affected by the price rise.

Louvre director Laurence des Cars said earlier this month that more than 20 emergency measures were being rolled out following the robbery. She noted that the museum's last major overhaul, carried out in the 1980s, is now "technically obsolete."

The broader "Louvre New Renaissance" renovation is expected to cost up to 800 million euros ($933 million). Plans include modernising infrastructure, managing crowding more effectively, and creating a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa by 2031.

The October 19 theft saw intruders break through a window into the Apollo Gallery, use power tools to cut open display cases, and flee on scooters in under eight minutes. On November 25, the Paris prosecutor announced four more arrests linked to the case. The two men and two women will be held for questioning, and a judge will decide on potential preliminary charges.