ETIAS will be an online pre-travel check for nationals of 59 visa-exempt countries and territories, including the UK. It will cover short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the 29 Schengen countries and Cyprus. It is not a visa and, unlike the Entry/Exit System, it collects no fingerprints.

Where the start date stands

• On 28 April 2026 the Commission said ETIAS was scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026. By 5 October 2026 no start date had been announced. The official ETIAS website and the Commission said only that the date would be given several months before launch.

• A transitional period of at least six months will follow launch, when travellers without an ETIAS can still enter if they meet the other conditions. In the following grace period of at least six months, only people entering for the first time since the transitional period ended can enter without one.

How it will work

• Each traveller, including children, applies separately on the official website or app.

• The fee is €20, set by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1411. Applicants under 18 or over 70, and qualifying family members of EU citizens, do not pay.

• Most applications should be processed within minutes, but a decision can take up to 30 days if an interview is needed.

• An ETIAS is linked to the passport and lasts three years or until the passport expires, if sooner.

• Airlines, cruise lines and other carriers will check it before boarding. Border guards will check it before trains leave the UK.

Worth knowing for agents

The EU says travel agents may apply for clients, with a separate signed declaration of representation for each traveller and an email address the traveller can access. It warns about unofficial ETIAS websites that charge more. Our guide to EES, ETIAS and the UK ETA has more.