What Is ETIAS? A Complete Guide for Visa-Free Travelers

Originally published on Charta Visa — last updated 2026-07-28.
Charta Visa is an independent private service, not a government website. Government fees are stated separately and paid to the authorities in full.

What is ETIAS?

ETIAS — the European Travel Information and Authorisation System — is the European Union's upcoming electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers making short stays in Europe. It is not a visa: it is a pre-travel security check linked electronically to your passport, in the same family as the US ESTA and the UK ETA. One approved ETIAS will cover 30 European countries — the Schengen Area and associated states — for trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you want the differences spelled out, see our ETIAS vs Schengen visa comparison.

The most important thing to know about ETIAS in 2026, however, is not what it is — it is what it isn't yet.

Current status: not open, and no published launch date

As of July 2026, ETIAS is not in operation and no applications are being collected — not by the EU, and not by anyone else. The official EU travel site says exactly that: ETIAS is currently not in operation, and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point.

Here is the honest history in one paragraph. ETIAS was created by EU regulation in 2018 and has been postponed repeatedly, largely because it depends on border infrastructure — the Entry/Exit System (EES) — that itself slipped several times before finally launching in October 2025. The EU's last published target for ETIAS was "the last quarter of 2026". In July 2026 that target was removed from the official ETIAS site, and no revised date has been published in its place. The EU now commits to exactly two things: ETIAS will start after EES is fully in place, and the specific start date will be announced several months in advance. Anything more precise that you read elsewhere is not from the EU.

Because that status can change with a single announcement, we maintain a live ETIAS readiness tracker that quotes the EU's current official language, dated and sourced. Check it before you believe any headline about a launch date.

The scam warning that matters right now

A system everyone has heard of but no one can use yet is perfect terrain for fraud. So, plainly: any website claiming to accept ETIAS applications today is not legitimate, however official it looks. There is no waiting list, no pre-registration and no early application. When ETIAS does go live, the only place an application can be filed will be the official EU website and mobile app. Charta Visa is an independent private service, and that honesty cuts both ways: we will not take an ETIAS application from you today, because nobody can.

Who will need ETIAS?

ETIAS will apply to travellers who currently visit Europe visa-free: citizens of around 59 visa-exempt countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan and Brazil. Every traveller will need their own authorisation — including children, who are exempt from the fee but not from the requirement.

You will not need ETIAS if you are an EU or Schengen-country citizen, if you hold a residence permit for a Schengen country, or if your nationality requires a Schengen visa — the visa process already covers the checks ETIAS will perform. Not sure which side of the line you are on? Our visa checker answers for any nationality and destination in seconds.

Cost, exemptions and validity: what is already fixed

While the launch date is open, much of the design is settled in EU law:

Fee: €20 per application, set by the European Commission in July 2025 — up from the €7 written into the original 2018 regulation.
Free for under-18s and over-70s — they still need the authorisation, but pay nothing. Certain family members of EU citizens are also exempt.
Valid for three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first — covering unlimited short trips in that window.
One authorisation, 30 countries — you will not need a separate ETIAS for each country you visit.
It does not change the 90/180-day rule — ETIAS is permission to travel, not extra days in Europe.

How ETIAS will work when it launches

Based on what the EU has published, applying will look like this: you complete a short online form on the official portal or app — passport details, personal information and a set of security and background questions — and pay the €20 fee. The EU expects the large majority of applications to be approved automatically within minutes; a minority will take up to 96 hours, or up to 30 days where additional information or an interview is requested. The approval is stored electronically against your passport number — no sticker, no stamp, nothing printed — and carriers will verify it before boarding, much as they do with ESTA today. The practical rule will be the same one that applies to every travel authorisation: apply when you book, not at the airport.

The start will also be softened. The EU has committed to a transitional period of at least six months after launch, during which travellers without an ETIAS will not be refused entry solely for lacking one, provided they meet all other entry conditions — followed by a further grace period before it becomes strictly mandatory. Note the catch: all of those periods are defined relative to a launch date that does not yet exist, so the date ETIAS becomes unavoidable is unknown too.

ETIAS and EES: don't confuse the two

ETIAS is routinely muddled with the Entry/Exit System (EES), which is a different system at a different point in your journey — and, crucially, is already live:

EES operates at the border, today. Since 12 October 2025 it has been registering non-EU travellers biometrically — fingerprints and a facial image — in place of passport stamps, and it flags overstays automatically. There is nothing to apply for.
ETIAS will operate before you travel: an online authorisation obtained ahead of your trip. It is not yet open.

The two are sequenced deliberately — ETIAS runs on infrastructure that EES put in place, which is why every EES delay has pushed ETIAS back as well.

What to do in the meantime

Travel as normal. If you are visa-exempt today, you can visit Europe today with nothing but a valid passport — ETIAS changes nothing until it launches.
Expect EES biometrics at the border, and a slightly longer first crossing while you are enrolled.
Keep your passport compliant — issued within the last 10 years and valid for three months beyond your planned departure from the Schengen Area.
Respect the 90/180-day rule — EES now enforces it automatically, to the day.
Follow the official line, not the headlines. Our ETIAS readiness tracker is re-verified against the EU's own pages and will reflect the launch announcement when it genuinely comes.

FAQ

Is ETIAS a visa?

No. ETIAS is a travel authorisation, not a visa. It is a fast online pre-travel check linked to your passport, similar to the US ESTA — far simpler than a traditional Schengen visa.

Is ETIAS delayed?

Yes — repeatedly. Legislated in 2018, ETIAS has slipped with every delay to the Entry/Exit System it depends on. In July 2026 the EU removed its last published target (“the last quarter of 2026”) from the official site; there is currently no launch date, only a commitment to announce one several months in advance.

Can I apply for ETIAS now?

No. ETIAS is not in operation and no applications are collected — by the EU or anyone else. Any website offering to file or pre-register an ETIAS today is not legitimate. When it launches, the official EU website and app will be the only place to apply.

How much will ETIAS cost?

The official fee is €20 per application, set by the European Commission in July 2025. It is free for applicants under 18 or over 70, and for certain family members of EU citizens.

How long will ETIAS be valid?

Three years, or until your passport expires — whichever comes first. It will allow unlimited short stays under the 90/180-day rule across all 30 covered countries.

Do children need ETIAS?

Yes — every traveller will need their own ETIAS, including children. Applicants under 18 are exempt from the €20 fee but still need the authorisation.