ETIAS: when it starts, who will need it, what it costs

Do you need an ETIAS right now?

No. ETIAS isn't running, and the EU isn't taking applications. If you're from a visa-free country, your passport is still all you need to travel. (There is a new border check called the EES, but you don't apply for that one. More on it below.)

When does ETIAS start?

There's no start date. The EU had said "the last quarter of 2026", but it took that line off the official ETIAS site in July 2026 and didn't put a new date in its place. The official wording now is that the EU will announce the date "several months prior to its launch". So you'll hear about it well before you need it.

Even then, it won't be strict straight away. According to the EU's published timeline, first comes a transitional period of at least six months: you should apply, but you won't be turned away without one. Then a grace period of at least six months: you'll need an ETIAS, except on your first trip after the transitional period ends. Both periods can be extended.

Who will need an ETIAS?

Citizens of the 59 countries and territories that can visit Europe without a visa. That includes the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Every traveller needs their own, children included. I'm German, so I won't need one: EU citizens don't.

Your passport: ETIAS or visa?

Our visa checker covers 51 passports for trips to the Schengen area. Find yours below: each link opens the full rules for that passport, with the date we last checked them.

A few passports only count if they're a certain type: for example, biometric passports from Ukraine and the Western Balkans, and specific passport types from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The official "what you need" page has the details.

Not on the list? The official list has all 59 countries and territories.

Who won't need an ETIAS?

• Citizens of the 30 ETIAS countries and of Ireland
• People with a residence permit from one of the ETIAS countries (a Cyprus permit only counts for Cyprus, and an Irish residence permit doesn't count at all)
• Anyone with a residence card as a family member of an EU citizen, including a card issued by Ireland
• Anyone with a Schengen visa or a national long-stay visa
• UK nationals who live in the EU under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement
• Citizens of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, and holders of a Vatican passport
• Nationals of countries that need a visa: they keep applying for a visa instead

The official site lists a few more groups, like diplomats. Here's the full list.

Which countries does ETIAS cover?

Thirty: the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus. That's Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Not Ireland, and not the UK. One quirk: days in Cyprus are counted separately from your 90 days in the other countries.

How much will ETIAS cost?

€20. It was originally going to be €7, and the EU raised it to €20 in 2025. Under-18s and over-70s won't pay, and neither will qualifying family members of EU citizens. The fee isn't refundable.

How will you apply for ETIAS?

Online, on the official EU site or in the official ETIAS app, and only once ETIAS starts. The app doesn't exist yet. You'll need:

• your passport, valid for at least three more months and issued in the last ten years
• an email address you can check yourself
• a payment card

The form will ask for your personal details, your passport, your education and job, your travel plans, and questions about criminal convictions, past travel to war or conflict zones, and any order to leave a country. No fingerprints and no health questions. Someone else, like a travel agent, can apply for you, but anything they charge on top of the €20 goes to them, not the EU.

How long will ETIAS take?

The EU says most applications will be decided within minutes, and the rest within four days. If they ask you for more information, it can take up to 14 more days, and up to 30 if they invite you to an interview. Once it's running, my tip is to apply as soon as you book.

How long will an ETIAS be valid?

Three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You can come and go as often as you like, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It's linked to your passport, so a new passport means a new ETIAS. And like a visa, it doesn't guarantee entry: the border guard still decides.

ETIAS and the EES: what's the difference?

They're easy to mix up. The EES (Entry/Exit System) is already running: it started on 12 October 2025 and has been in use at every Schengen border since 10 April 2026. You don't apply for it. The first time you cross, the border scans four fingerprints and takes a photo of your face, and your passport no longer gets stamped (Cyprus and Ireland still stamp by hand).

ETIAS is the part you'll apply for online before you travel. EES happens at the border.

Is ETIAS checked on trains and ferries from the UK?

Once ETIAS starts, it will be checked before you board a train leaving the UK, not only when you fly, and the same goes for ferries such as Dover to Calais.

Planning your Europe trip

While the EU makes up its mind, here's what I'd sort for the trip itself. They're paid links: if you book through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

When the EU announces a date, I'll update this guide. Until then, there's nothing to apply for, so go and enjoy Europe.