ETIAS explained

What is ETIAS?

ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is an online pre-travel check that nationals of visa-exempt countries will need before a short stay in 30 European countries. It is not a visa. As of 9 November 2026, ETIAS is not in operation and the EU has not announced when it will start.

Check my passport →Official EU ETIAS website ↗

Based on official EU sourcesLast fact-checked 9 November 2026Last updated 9 November 2026

ETIAS in one minute

Before travelling, you will fill in an online form on the official EU website or app: identity and passport details, contact details, education and occupation, the first country you plan to visit, and a few background questions (for example on serious criminal convictions or past stays in war zones). You pay the fee, and the system checks your answers against European security and migration databases.

Most applications are expected to be approved within minutes. The authorisation is then linked electronically to your passport. There is no sticker, no stamp and nothing to print: the airline, ferry or coach company checks it before boarding, and the border guard sees it when you arrive.

Once granted, ETIAS allows as many trips as you like during its validity, each within the usual limit of 90 days in any 180-day period.

ETIAS is not a visa

The difference matters, because many websites blur it.

A Schengen visa is applied for at a consulate or visa centre, involves an appointment, supporting documents and fingerprints, and costs more. ETIAS is a light, online check for people who already do not need a visa. It does not change who needs a visa: if your nationality requires a Schengen visa today, ETIAS will not replace it.

ETIAS also does not guarantee entry. As now, the border guard decides at the border, and you must still meet the usual entry conditions: a passport valid for at least three months after your planned departure and issued within the previous ten years, the purpose and means of your stay, and so on.

Who will need ETIAS

Nationals of about sixty visa-exempt countries and territories, among them the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil and Mexico. Some nationalities are covered only with a specific type of passport, for example a biometric passport for several Western Balkan and Eastern European countries.

You will not need ETIAS if you are a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, if you hold a residence permit or long-stay visa issued by one of the countries concerned, or if you already need a visa. The details, with the full list and an interactive check, are on our page who needs ETIAS.

Where ETIAS applies

ETIAS will be required for the 30 countries of the Schengen area plus Cyprus. Ireland is not part of it. One authorisation covers all of them. In Cyprus, days spent there are counted separately from the 90 days allowed in the other countries. See the 30 ETIAS countries.

How long ETIAS is valid

An ETIAS authorisation is valid for 3 years, or until the passport you used to apply expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you will need a new ETIAS.

When ETIAS starts

There is no official date. The EU’s last target, the last quarter of 2026, was removed from the official website in the summer of 2026. When ETIAS does start, there will be a transitional period of at least six months during which travellers without ETIAS can still enter, followed by a grace period of at least six months for first-time visitors. Our start date page tracks every official announcement with its source.

Why the EU created ETIAS

ETIAS was set up by Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 to identify, before departure, visa-exempt travellers who could pose a security, illegal immigration or high epidemic risk. It works on the same principle as the US ESTA, Canada’s eTA or the UK’s ETA: a quick online screening, instead of nothing at all before the border.

Common questions

Can I apply for ETIAS now?

No. ETIAS is not in operation and no application can be submitted, on any website. A site that takes your money for ETIAS today is not processing anything with the EU. See how to spot an unofficial site.

Will I need to give my fingerprints for ETIAS?

No. The ETIAS form does not collect fingerprints. Fingerprints and a facial image are taken at the border by a separate system, the Entry/Exit System (EES), which is already running.

Can someone else apply for me?

The EU allows another person or an intermediary to submit an application on your behalf, for example a parent for a child. The fee charged by the EU stays €20; anything above that is the intermediary’s own charge.