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ETIAS Explained (2026): When It Starts and Who Must Apply
ETIAS isn't running yet as of October 2026 and no date is set. Who will need it, the proposed €20 fee, validity, EES, and how to avoid fake sites.
As of October 2026, ETIAS (Europe's new travel authorization) has not started, and nobody can apply for one yet. The EU withdrew its Q4 2026 target in July and has not published a new one; 2027 is reported but not official.
If you are a US, Canadian, UK or Australian passport holder visiting Europe soon, you do not need ETIAS today. Before any trip, check the official site, travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. The start date will be published there.
What ETIAS is, and what it isn't
ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It is an online check you complete before travel, similar in idea to the US ESTA. You fill in a form online before you fly. The EU checks your details against its security and immigration databases. Your application is then approved, referred for manual review, or refused.
It is not a visa. You won't need a consulate appointment or a sticker in your passport. It also doesn't guarantee entry. A border officer still checks your passport and the purpose of your trip when you arrive.
ETIAS doesn't change how long you can stay. The short-stay rule stays the same: a maximum of 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. Those days are counted across the whole area, not per country.
When does ETIAS start?
No date has been published. Here is what is on record as of October 2026:
- The official portal says ETIAS is not operating. It states that no applications are being collected at this point.
- The old target is gone. In March 2025, EU ministers endorsed a plan to launch in the last quarter of 2026. Around July 17, 2026, that wording disappeared from the official FAQ and "Who should apply" pages. There was no press release.
- 2027 is the widely reported expectation. The Financial Times, citing EU officials, reported that 2027 looks most likely. That is reporting, not an official decision.
- You'll get notice. The European Commission formally sets the date in its Official Journal once the system passes final testing. The EU has said it will announce the date several months in advance.
The main reported reason for the delay is the Entry/Exit System (EES), covered below. ETIAS was designed to switch on only after EES was running smoothly, and EES had a bumpy start.
The phase-in: why the first year will be forgiving
Even after launch, the EU plans a gradual start:
- Transitional period, first 6 months. ETIAS is optional. If you don't have one, you are still admitted as long as you meet the other entry conditions. The Commission can extend this period.
- Grace period, the following 6 months. ETIAS is required. However, if this is your first crossing since the transitional period ended, you can be let in once without one in exceptional circumstances.
- Fully mandatory, roughly 12 months after launch. At this point, carriers are expected to refuse boarding to anyone without a valid authorization (verify against the official portal once a date is set).
Our advice: if the plan holds, ETIAS should be optional for the first six months after launch, but the Commission can change or extend that, so check travel-europe.europa.eu/etias for the final rules. Once the transitional period ends, apply before you book anything nonrefundable, and don't count on the grace period to get you in.
Who must apply, and where it applies
You will need ETIAS if you hold a passport from one of the roughly 60 visa-exempt countries and territories. That group includes the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Mexico. If your nationality already requires a Schengen visa, ETIAS doesn't apply to you. You keep using the visa.
ETIAS will cover 30 countries. These are the 29 Schengen states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland) plus Cyprus.
Two places are not covered:
- Ireland is outside Schengen and doesn't take part in ETIAS or EES.
- The United Kingdom runs its own separate scheme, the UK ETA (see the table below).
Cyprus is the odd one out the other way: it will require ETIAS but is outside the EES biometric system.
Family members of EU citizens who hold an EU residence card are reported not to need ETIAS at all. Check your own case on the official site.
To see what your passport needs for a specific country, use the entry-requirements lookup on our documents page. Enter your nationality and destination, and it links to the official government sources.
ETIAS, EES and the UK ETA compared
These three are easy to confuse. All details are as of October 2026.
| ETIAS (EU) | EES (EU) | UK ETA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Online authorization before travel | Biometric record taken at the border | Online authorization before travel |
| Status | Not yet operating; no date set | Live; fully operational since April 10, 2026 | Live; required for US citizens |
| Cost | Proposed €20 per application; check the final fee at launch | No application; biometrics taken at the border | £20 per person |
| Validity | Up to 3 years or until passport expires | Not applicable | 2 years or until passport expires |
| Where | 29 Schengen states + Cyprus | Schengen states (not Cyprus or Ireland) | UK, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man |
| Official site | travel-europe.europa.eu/etias | travel-europe.europa.eu/ees | gov.uk/eta |
EES matters now. On your first entry to a Schengen country, officers record your passport data, a photo of your face and your fingerprints. Later visits need only a quick biometric check. EES has replaced passport stamps, and it counts your 90 days automatically. The official explanation is at travel-europe.europa.eu/ees.
Queues were long during the rollout. Countries had temporary permission to scale back registration when lines got too long, and that permission ended on September 6, 2026. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip under the new system. (Flying in for a cruise? That's one more reason to fly in the day before; for flights, see the best airports for a Mediterranean cruise, and bestcruising.com, our sister site, for the cruise itself.)
The UK ETA applies to transit passengers too. You need one even to change planes in the UK if you pass through UK border control. Every traveler needs their own, including babies. Decisions usually arrive within minutes, but the UK government advises applying at least 3 working days before you travel. Apply only through gov.uk/eta or the official "UK ETA" app.
Fee, validity and how applying will work
The proposed fee is €20 per application. The 2018 law set it at €7. On July 18, 2025 the Commission proposed raising it to €20. It cited inflation, higher running costs, and alignment with the UK ETA and US ESTA. The proposed €20 fee is meant to apply once ETIAS is operating. Check the final fee on travel-europe.europa.eu/etias before you apply.
Some travelers must still apply but pay nothing. Anyone under 18 or over 70 when they apply pays no fee. Certain family members of EU citizens are also exempt.
As a worked example, take a family of four at the proposed €20 fee: two parents aged 45 and two children aged 10 and 14. The fee is charged per person:
- The parents pay €20 each: 2 × €20 = €40.
- The children are under 18, so they pay €0 each.
- The total is €40 + €0 = €40 for the whole family.
A retired couple who are both over 70 would pay nothing, though each person must still apply.
Validity is up to 3 years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. If you renew your passport, you need a new ETIAS.
Processing, as planned:
- The online form is expected to take about 10 minutes.
- Most decisions should arrive within minutes.
- Some can take up to 96 hours (4 days).
- Up to 14 days if the EU asks for extra documents.
- Up to 30 days if you are invited to an interview.
Your passport matters too. The standard Schengen rule is reported to be a passport issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least 3 months beyond the day you plan to leave. Our passport-validity checker applies the 3- and 6-month rules to your exact dates. For background, read The six-month passport rule, explained.
What to do now
For a trip to Europe in late 2026 or early 2027:
- Check your passport. The standard Schengen rule is reported to be a passport under 10 years old and valid at least 3 months past your departure from Europe. Run your dates through the checker on our documents page.
- Look up your destination. The entry-requirements lookup on the same page covers your nationality and each country you'll visit.
- Allow extra time for EES. Expect a slower border on your first entry, and leave a buffer before tight connections or a cruise departure.
- Get a UK ETA if your trip includes the UK (see the table above).
- Re-check the official ETIAS site before you book. That is travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. It is where a launch date will appear first.
Watch out for fake ETIAS sites
Until ETIAS launches, any website that offers to take your ETIAS application is not legitimate. Many sites copy the EU's look and charge far more than the proposed €20.
When ETIAS does launch, apply only through travel-europe.europa.eu/etias, the only official site. Launch headlines may appear on our travel news page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need ETIAS for a trip to Europe in 2026?
No. As of October 2026, ETIAS is not operating and no applications are accepted. You will still go through EES biometric registration at Schengen external borders (Cyprus is outside EES). A US citizen also needs a UK ETA if the trip includes the UK.
When will ETIAS start?
No date has been published. The EU withdrew its Q4 2026 target in July and has not published a new one; 2027 is reported but not official. The EU has said it will announce the date several months in advance, on travel-europe.europa.eu/etias.
Is ETIAS a visa?
No. It is a pre-travel authorization that you complete online. There is no consulate visit and no passport sticker. It doesn't guarantee entry, because border officers still check your passport and your entry conditions on arrival.
Where do I apply, and how do I spot fake sites?
Once ETIAS launches, apply only at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias, the only official site. Right now, any site offering to take an ETIAS application is fraudulent. Sites that charge well above the proposed €20 fee are a warning sign.
Does Ireland or the UK need ETIAS?
No. Ireland is outside Schengen and takes part in neither ETIAS nor EES, and it requires neither scheme for US visitors. The UK isn't part of ETIAS either. It runs its own UK ETA, which US citizens need for visits and for transit through UK border control. Irish citizens need neither the UK ETA nor ETIAS to travel to the UK or Ireland.
Does ETIAS let me stay longer than 90 days?
No. The limit stays at 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, across all the countries combined. EES now counts those days automatically and flags overstays.
I'm over 70. Do I still have to apply?
Yes. Once ETIAS becomes mandatory, you must still submit an application. You won't pay the fee, because travelers who are over 70 when they apply are exempt from it.
