ETIAS start date: not announced yet

Status on 30 September 2026

ETIAS is not in operation. No application can be made, on any website. The EU's official site still gives "the last quarter of 2026" and promises to announce the date "several months prior to its launch". No date had been announced when we checked.

What the EU has actually said

5 March 2025: EU home affairs ministers endorse a revised timeline: the Entry/Exit System (EES) first, in October 2025, then ETIAS "expected to become operational in the last quarter of 2026".
July 2025: the Commission raises the fee to €20. Its news item repeats "starting from the last quarter of 2026".
10 April 2026: EES is fully operational at all external borders.
30 September 2026: the official ETIAS site says ETIAS is not in operation, with no launch date.

Two consequences. First, since the EU has committed to several months' notice and had given none by the end of September 2026, ETIAS cannot realistically start in 2026. British newspapers reported a delay to 2027 in July 2026; the EU has not confirmed it, so we do not state it as fact. Second, the start will be soft:

Transitional period, at least 6 months: you should apply, but travellers without ETIAS are not refused entry if they meet the other conditions.
Grace period, at least 6 months: ETIAS is required, except for people entering for the first time since the transitional period ended.

So in practice, nobody will be turned away for lack of ETIAS during roughly the first year after launch. We will update this page the day a date is published.

What it will cost

€20 per person, valid 3 years or until the passport expires. Free under 18 and over 70, and for family members of EU citizens who meet the conditions. A family of two adults and two children will pay €40 in total.

Where it applies: 30 countries

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. Not Ireland, which has its own rules. Cyprus requires ETIAS but counts your 90 days separately.

Who will need ETIAS

Nationals of visa-exempt countries and territories. The EU's own country list includes:

Albania
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominica
El Salvador
Georgia
Grenada
Guatemala
Honduras
Hong Kong (HKSAR passport)
Israel
Japan
Kiribati
Kosovo
Macao (MSAR passport)
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Montenegro
New Zealand
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Taiwan
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom (British citizen)
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela

Nationals of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican do not need it. Nationals of any other country need a Schengen visa, and ETIAS does not concern them (with rare exceptions for school trips and recognised refugees living in an ETIAS country).

Dual nationals

The EU's own examples: Maria, Argentine and Spanish, travels on her Spanish passport and needs nothing. Denis, Canadian and Serbian, needs ETIAS with either passport. Laura, American and Dominican, needs ETIAS on her US passport, or a visa on her Dominican one. You must travel with the passport used in the application.

How it will work

Only on the official site (europa.eu/etias) or the official ETIAS app, never before launch.
Questions on identity, passport, education and job, criminal convictions, travel to war or conflict zones. No biometrics, no health questions.
Most answers in minutes; otherwise within 4 days, up to 14 more days if documents are requested, up to 30 more days if you are invited to an interview.
Carriers (airlines, ferries, coaches, Eurostar) check it before boarding.

Meanwhile, what did change is EES, the biometric Entry/Exit System.

ETIAS questions

When does ETIAS start?

No date has been announced. As of 30 September 2026, the EU's official ETIAS site says ETIAS "is expected to become operational in the last quarter of 2026" and that the EU "will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch". Since no date has been given with three months of 2026 left, a start in 2026 looks unlikely; press reports of a delay to 2027 have not been confirmed by the EU.

Can I apply for ETIAS now?

No. "ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point." Any website taking an ETIAS application or payment today is not the EU.

How much will ETIAS cost?

€20, instead of the €7 set in 2018. Free for applicants under 18 or over 70, and for family members of EU citizens who meet the conditions.

Do British citizens need ETIAS?

Yes, once it starts: UK nationals will need ETIAS for short stays in the 30 countries, including by ferry and Eurostar (checked before boarding at Dover or St Pancras). UK nationals holding a Withdrawal Agreement residence document issued by an ETIAS country are exempt.

Do US citizens need ETIAS?

Yes, once it starts. Until then, US citizens visit the Schengen area visa-free as before, with EES registration at the border.

Do EU citizens or people with a residence permit need ETIAS?

No. Citizens of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland never need it. Nor do holders of a residence permit or residence card issued by an ETIAS country (Cyprus: only for Cyprus itself) or of a Schengen visa.

I am 70. Do I pay?

The EU says the fee is waived for applicants "under 18 or over 70 years of age". Whether someone aged 70 years and a few months counts as "over 70" is not spelled out on the official site; the checker counts €20 at 70 and free from 71, to stay on the safe side.