ETIAS in 2026: Start Date, Cost and What to Do Now

Updated Fri, 16 October 2026

Check whether your passport will need ETIAS →

Short answer: as of 16 October 2026, ETIAS is not running, you cannot apply, and you do not need it for your trip. If you are visa-free for Europe, a valid passport is still all you need for a short stay.

Where the start date stands

ETIAS (the European Travel Information and Authorisation System) has been delayed several times. In April 2026 the European Commission said operations were planned for the last quarter of 2026, with the exact date still to be announced. Since then, travel and immigration industry reports in July and September 2026 have said the launch is now expected in 2027, and that the official site no longer gives a 2026 window.

There is still no official start date. The EU has said it will give travellers several months of notice. When a date is announced we will update this page and the ETIAS checker.

Reports also describe a transition period after launch, when ETIAS is optional, followed by a grace period, when a first entry without it is tolerated. The exact rules depend on the launch date and have not been published.

Who will need ETIAS

ETIAS is for people who can visit Europe without a visa. That means citizens of around 60 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, plus Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan passport holders.

You will not need ETIAS if:

you are a citizen of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland;
you hold a residence permit or long-stay visa from a European country it covers; or
you need a Schengen visa. Travellers from countries such as Thailand, India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Türkiye apply for a visa instead, which costs EUR 90 for adults. The visa fee calculator adds it up for a family.

ETIAS will cover 30 countries: the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus. It will not cover Ireland.

What it will cost and how long it lasts

Fee: EUR 20 per person. The fee was raised from the originally planned EUR 7 in 2025.
Free for: travellers under 18 and over 70. They still need an ETIAS but do not pay.
Valid for: 3 years, or until your passport expires if that is sooner. Renewing your passport means a new ETIAS.
Processing: most applications are expected to be approved in minutes. The EU can take up to 4 days, or longer if it asks for more information (up to 14 days) or an interview (up to 30 days).

ETIAS does not change how long you can stay. You can still spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period, as explained in our guide to the 90/180 rule.

ETIAS is not the EES

The two are easy to mix up, but they are different:

	EES (Entry/Exit System)	ETIAS
What it is	Electronic record of you at the border	Travel authorisation you get before you go
Status	Fully running since 10 April 2026	Not started, no official date
Do you apply?	No, you are registered at the border	Yes, online, once it opens
Cost	Free	EUR 20 (free under 18 and over 70)

The EES checker shows what happens at the border today.

Watch out for ETIAS scam sites

Many websites already advertise “ETIAS applications” and charge for them. Since ETIAS is not open, no one can get you an ETIAS today. When it launches, apply only on the official EU website or the official app, and pay the official fee of EUR 20. Sites charging much more are at best middlemen.

What to do now

Check your passport. For Schengen it must have been issued within the last 10 years and stay valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave.
Count your days. If you are planning a long trip, use the 90/180 calculator so the EES does not flag you as an overstayer.
Going to the UK too? The UK has its own electronic travel authorisation, which is already required. See the UK ETA calculator.
Come back before you book a trip in 2027. By then the ETIAS rules may apply.