Schengen area · Not required yet
ETIASwhat’s official so far
You don’t need ETIAS yet: the EU has not set a start date, and it says it will announce one several months in advance. When it starts, visitors who don’t need a visa for Europe, including Americans, Britons, Canadians and Australians, will apply online before traveling. It will cost €20 and last three years.
Checked against official sources Oct 29, 2026 · Sources
- Status
- Not required yet. The EU has not published a start date; it says it will announce the date several months before ETIAS starts, followed by at least 6 months when it isn’t enforced strictly.
- Official fee
- €20 (when it starts) · free for under-18s and over-70s
- Valid for
- 3 years, or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner
- Each visit
- Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- Official decision time
- Most decisions within minutes, at the latest within 4 days; up to 30 more days if more information or an interview is requested
Who needs it
Of the passports we cover: U.S. citizens, British citizens, Canadians, Australians. Once it starts: non-EU citizens who don’t need a visa (59 countries and territories) visiting any of 30 countries: the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus.
Who doesn’t
Citizens of those 30 countries and Ireland; people with a Schengen visa, a national long-stay visa or a residence permit from one of those countries; UK nationals with a Withdrawal Agreement residence document (except in Ireland); citizens of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican.
How to apply
- Wait for the official launch: no one can apply yet.
- Then apply only on the official ETIAS website (on europa.eu) or the official ETIAS app.
- Each traveler, including children, applies separately. Under-18s and over-70s pay nothing.
Children
Each child needs their own ETIAS; family or group applications aren’t accepted. Under-18s pay no fee.
If you’re only changing planes
Not needed if you stay in the international transit area of an airport. Needed if you leave it and enter the country.
If it’s refused
A refusal explains why and how to appeal; the appeal goes to the country that refused it.
What happens when it starts
The EU will first run a transitional period of at least six months, when travelers should have ETIAS but won’t be refused for lacking it if they meet the other conditions. Then a grace period of at least six months, when it is required except on a first entry. After that, it is required for everyone it applies to.
Official sources
- European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) - official site ·
ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Main differences between the EES and ETIAS: What travellers need to know - Migration and Home Affairs (28 April 2026) ·
ETIAS is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026. The exact start date of ETIAS will be officially communicated later this year.
· checked 2026-10-29 - EU Open Day: Come and discover news on EU borders - Migration and Home Affairs (event 9 May 2026) ·
ETIAS - the European Travel Information and Authorisation System which is due to start operations in the last quarter of 2026.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Frequently asked questions - ETIAS ·
When applying using this official ETIAS website, you will be charged a fee of EUR 20. Applicants who are under 18 or over 70 years of age are exempt from this payment.
· checked 2026-10-29 - ETIAS timeline explained - ETIAS news corner (2025-02-18) ·
The launch of ETIAS will be followed by a transitional period of at least six months.
· checked 2026-10-29 - 5 things travel agents should know about ETIAS - ETIAS news corner (2026-07-05) ·
Group applications will not be accepted. Each traveller, including children, must submit their applications separately.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Who should apply - ETIAS ·
These 30 European countries require visa-exempt travellers to have an ETIAS travel authorisation:
· checked 2026-10-29
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Get an email when these rules change
Only when an official entry rule we track changes: a new travel authorization, a fee, a start date or a passport rule. At most once a week, with the official source for every change.