What is Etias and who does it affect?

ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System and will be an online application for permission to enter the Schengen area. 

Authorisation will be subject to a fee (€20) and various checks.

It will launch in late 2026 with a six-month phasing-in period and will concern non-EU/non-EEA/non-Swiss visitors. With EES, it is part of plans to modernise the Schengen borders. It comes amid concerns over issues such as irregular migration and terrorism. 

People will be able to apply on this website or using an app (not yet available). 

Having valid Etias authorisation (this will be confirmed by email) will, once deployed, be automatically checked at the border when your passport is scanned, along with the collection of EES data including your latest date of entry or exit. 

It will last three years or until your passport expires (whichever is first). It also ends if you obtain a new passport due to loss, theft etc. 

Information requested will include name, home address, date and place of birth and nationality as well as: 

• Your email address 

• Your phone number(s) 

• Your parents’ first names

• Your level of education 

• Your current occupation

• The country of your first intended stay (once you have the authorisation it is still possible to change your plans and travel to any Schengen country). 

Questions will also be asked about past criminal convictions and travels to war/ conflict zones and if you have been subject to an expulsion order from the EU. 

Who needs to apply?

An application will be needed for each traveller and linked to their passport. Applicants under 18 or aged 70 or over are exempt from payment (parents or guardians can apply for a child). 

Family members of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are also exempt from fees. 

Unlike EES, people coming into the EU who are required to have a short-stay visa to visit will not be concerned by Etias. Applicants must check that the information they fill in when applying is the same as shown in their passport, as boarding can be refused if they do not match. 

They must also (apart from the family members mentioned above) ensure their passport will be valid three months after their intended departure date from the Schengen area. 

If you realise you made a mistake in an application the simplest solution will be to make a new one – corrections can be requested but can take up to a month. 

Once granted, you should also make a new request if important personal information including email address, name, gender or nationality have changed (loss of access to an email address you gave does not invalidate an Etias but you may miss important notifications). 

Etias is not considered equivalent to a visa, which is more complex and costly. The EU advises that in the future people should obtain the authorisation before buying tickets and booking hotels. 

Most applications will be processed within minutes and at the latest within 96 hours. However, some applicants may be asked to provide additional information or documentation or to undertake an interview with national authorities, which may take up to an additional 30 days. 

If the application is refused, the email will give reasons and explain appeal options. Refusals could be linked to using a passport that was reported lost or stolen, being considered a security or illegal immigration risk, failure to provide requested additional information, or due to previous bans on entering or remaining in the EU. 

It is possible for another person, such as a friend or a paid intermediary (eg. a travel agency) to apply for you if you have authorised them to do so. You will both need to sign a declaration of representation. 

However, note that any other site offering intermediary services will collect your data and use the official website to apply for you. Before using such sites, check their fees and data protection. 

The only official site is the one given above and it is intended to be simple, so it is questionable what extra value these sites will provide. It is also likely that some sites will be scams. Ensure if using such a service that it will give the EU a personal email address for you that you can obtain updates on. 

The UK has a similar scheme called Eta, which applies to visitors entering the UK and costs £16 (€19), as does the US, whose Esta is $21 (€18) but is expected to double to $40 (€34 in 2026). These both last two years or until the linked passport expires. 

After launch there will be a ‘transitional’ period for at least six months in which you ‘should’ apply for Etias but will be allowed to enter the Schengen area without. It will be followed by a six (or more) month ‘grace’ period when the same applies for those entering Schengen for the first time since the end of the transition period.