ETIAS is Coming

ETIAS Is Coming. Here's What It Actually Means for You:

Something is changing about how British passport holders get into Europe, and a surprising number of people either haven't heard of it or have completely the wrong idea about what it is.

ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is not a visa. It's not a new restriction on how long you can stay. It's a pre-travel authorisation, similar to the US ESTA or the UK's own ETA scheme. You apply online before you go, pay a one-off fee, get approved (usually within minutes), and that's it for three years.

It is not live yet. You cannot apply right now. And if a website is offering to sell you one today, it is a scam and more on that below.

Here's everything that's actually been confirmed:

What Is ETIAS?

ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It's the EU's equivalent of the US ESTA, a way for border authorities to run security checks on visa-exempt travellers before they arrive, rather than only at the border itself.

Before ETIAS, UK passport holders (and visitors from around 60 other visa-exempt countries) could just show up at a European border without any prior registration. ETIAS changes that. From launch, you'll need an approved ETIAS linked to your passport before you board a flight, ferry, or train to any of the 30 participating countries.

It was supposed to launch years ago. The original target was 2021. Then 2022. Then 2023. Then 2024. It has now been confirmed for Q4 2026, meaning somewhere between October and December 2026 following the full rollout of the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) in April 2026, which ETIAS depends on to function.

Do UK Passport Holders Need ETIAS?

Yes. UK passport holders will need an ETIAS to enter the 30 participating European countries once the system goes live.

This is a direct consequence of Brexit. Before January 2021, British citizens had free movement across the EU. That ended. UK passport holders are now treated as "third country nationals", meaning visa-exempt but subject to travel authorisation requirements like ETIAS.

You do NOT need ETIAS if:

• You hold an Irish passport (Ireland has a bilateral exemption)
• You have an EU residence permit (you're exempt for the country that issued it)
• You hold dual nationality with an EU country and travel on your EU passport
• You already have a Schengen visa (ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers only)

If none of those apply and you're travelling to Europe on a British passport, you'll need one.

Which Countries Require ETIAS?

All 29 Schengen Area countries plus Cyprus. That covers the majority of popular European destinations:

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, and Cyprus.

Countries in Europe that do NOT require ETIAS:

• Ireland (exempt by agreement)
• Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia (non-EU, non-Schengen)
• Turkey (non-Schengen)
• Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan (outside the Schengen area entirely)
• Ukraine

If your European trip only involves countries from that second list, ETIAS won't apply.

How Much Does ETIAS Cost?

The fee is €20 per person. This is confirmed, it was originally going to be €7 but the price was changed.

It will be free for travellers under 18 years old and aged 70 and over.

How Long Does ETIAS Last?

Three years from the date of issue, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

That's the key detail. Once you apply and get approved, you can make as many trips as you want to ETIAS countries within those three years. You don't need to apply again each time you travel. But because the ETIAS is linked to your specific passport, if your passport expires or you get a new one, you'll need a new ETIAS.

When Should You Apply?

The recommendation is to apply at least 96 hours (four days) before your travel date. In most cases, applications are processed within minutes. But some applications require additional review and can take longer, so leaving it to the night before is not a smart move.

Once the system is live, applying a week or two before you travel is sensible. There's no downside to getting it sorted early.

What Information Will You Need?

When ETIAS applications open, you'll need to provide:

• Personal details (name, date of birth, nationality)
• Valid passport information
• Contact details and email address
• Details of your planned travel
• Answers to security and health screening questions

The ETIAS is then electronically linked to your passport. You don't receive a physical document, border systems check it automatically when you travel.

Where Do You Apply?

Through the official EU website only: travel-europe.europa.eu/etias

A dedicated ETIAS mobile app will also be available at launch.

That website is not currently live or taking applications. If you go there now, there is nothing to apply for. The official portal will open when the system launches later in 2026.

ETIAS Scams: This Is a Real Problem

Frontex (the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency) has already identified more than 150 fake websites claiming to sell ETIAS authorisations. ABTA has also issued warnings to its members about this.

The scam sites look credible. They charge fees, take personal information, and some will send you a document that looks official. None of it is real. If you use one of these sites you risk being overcharged, receiving a worthless document that won't get you into Europe, and having your personal data stolen.

The only way to apply for ETIAS is through the official EU portal at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. It is not available anywhere else. Anyone selling it right now is a fraudster.

What's the Transition Period?

This is the part that matters most for people travelling to Europe in late 2026 and early 2027.

ETIAS won't go from optional to mandatory overnight. When the system launches, there will be a six-month transitional period during which travellers without an ETIAS will generally not be refused entry, provided they meet all other requirements. After that transition ends, likely around April 2027, it becomes mandatory. Airlines will start checking before boarding well before then.

Practically speaking: if you're travelling to Europe in the final months of 2026, you probably won't be turned away for not having an ETIAS. But you should apply anyway once it opens, because the grace period ends, and the fee is only €20.

How Does ETIAS Relate to EES?

You might have heard about the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES), which launched in October 2025 and became fully operational in April 2026. These are two separate, but connected systems.

EES is the biometric border check. When you arrive at a Schengen border, your fingerprints and photo are taken and stored. It replaces passport stamps and tracks exactly when you entered and exited the Schengen area. It's already running, if you've travelled to Europe since April 2026, you've already gone through it.

ETIAS is the pre-travel authorisation. It's the thing you sort at home, before you even get to the airport. ETIAS relies on the EES database to function, which is why ETIAS couldn't launch until EES was operational.

You'll need both. EES is handled at the border automatically. ETIAS is something you do yourself, in advance.

Does ETIAS Change How Long You Can Stay in Europe?

No. ETIAS does not extend or change the 90/180-day rule for UK passport holders.

You are still limited to 90 days in the Schengen Area within any 180-day rolling period. ETIAS is simply the permission slip that allows airlines and ferry operators to let you board, and border systems to clear you on arrival. What you do with your 90 days is still governed by the same rule it always has been.

If you haven't got your head around the 90/180-day rule yet, we've got a full guide on that. It's worth understanding properly, especially now that the EES means it's enforced digitally and automatically.

Final Thoughts

ETIAS is not a big deal once you understand it. It's a €20 online application, valid for three years, that takes a few minutes to complete. It's not a visa, it doesn't restrict where you go or how long you stay, and it won't affect most trips at all once it's built into the pre-travel routine.

What it is worth doing: bookmarking the official EU portal now so you use the right site when it goes live, being aware of the scam sites, and not waiting until the night before your first post-launch trip to sort it.

We'll update this article as soon as the portal opens and applications are live.

Travelling through Europe on a budget? BudgetBro is a free app for tracking your travel expenses across multiple countries and currencies. Download it here.