ETIAS 2026: Do I Need It? Cost, Start Date and Country Checker
ETIAS is the EU’s new travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors. It is not live yet, and there is no confirmed start date. Check your passport and destination below, then see what it costs, which 30 countries it covers, how the transitional period works and how it differs from EES.
Live status, 2 October 2026: ETIAS is not operating and no applications are being collected. The main official ETIAS site no longer gives a launch date. The “last quarter of 2026” target was removed in July 2026. We have found no new official date. The EU says it will announce the start date several months ahead.
Quick answer
ETIAS is a pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors to 30 European countries. It is not a visa. It costs 20 euros for most adults, lasts up to three years or until your passport expires, and covers stays of up to 90 days in any 180 days. You do not need it yet. When it launches, a transitional period of at least six months comes first, so travellers can still enter without it if they meet the other entry conditions.
Do I need ETIAS?
Pick the passport you will travel with and your main destination. The checker applies the general ETIAS rule.
When does ETIAS start?
Nobody can give you a start date yet. In March 2025 EU ministers endorsed a last-quarter-of-2026 launch. In July 2026 the Financial Times reported that eu-LISA, the agency building the system, had concluded a 2026 launch was not feasible. The current official ETIAS site no longer gives a launch date. It says only that ETIAS is not in operation and no applications are collected.
Some older EU pages may still carry the last-quarter-of-2026 wording, so rely on the main ETIAS site for current status. The EU has said it will announce the start date several months before launch. eu-LISA’s board was expected to review the revised schedule in September 2026. As of 2 October 2026, we have found no official announcement giving a new launch date, so treat any 2027 date published elsewhere as an estimate.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 5 Mar 2025 | EU home affairs ministers endorse a revised timeline: ETIAS in the last quarter of 2026. |
| 17 Jul 2025 | Commission decision raises the fee from 7 euros to 20 euros. |
| 10 Apr 2026 | EES is fully operational. |
| Mid-Jul 2026 | Main ETIAS site removes the Q4 2026 target after the Financial Times report on eu-LISA. |
| Sep 2026 | eu-LISA board expected to review a revised schedule. No official new date found as of 2 October 2026. |
| Launch day | Date not set. The EU promises several months of notice. |
What the transitional period means
ETIAS will not become strict on day one. The EU rules provide for a transitional period of at least six months, followed by a grace period of at least six months. That gives at least 12 months in total:
- Transitional period: you can apply, but nobody is refused entry only for lacking ETIAS, as long as you meet the other entry conditions.
- Grace period: only travellers arriving for the first time since the transitional period ended can still enter without it.
- After that: ETIAS is mandatory for everyone it covers.
The EU cannot publish exact dates for these periods until the start date is set.
Who needs ETIAS?
The general rule has four parts. You hold a passport from one of the 59 visa-exempt countries and territories. You are visiting one of the 30 ETIAS countries. The trip is a short stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You travel on an eligible document.
Some travellers fall outside the rule. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not use ETIAS. Holders of a residence permit or long-stay visa from an ETIAS country are generally exempt, and so are travellers who hold a visa for the trip. Some family members of EU citizens have their own rules. Nationals of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are not on the list.
Which 30 countries require ETIAS?
The official list has 30 countries: the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus. Cyprus is not in the Schengen Area or the EES system, but it is on the ETIAS list.
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Ireland is different
Ireland is an EU member but is not one of the 30 ETIAS countries. Separate Irish entry rules apply.
The rule is the same in each of the 30 countries. If you ask whether you need ETIAS for France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece or Portugal, the answer is the same: yes, once it is in force, if your passport is on the list and the trip is a short stay.
Which passports are on the ETIAS list?
The official list has 59 countries and territories. US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Singaporean passports are all on it. Search the list below.
- Albania
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Kosovo*
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
*Kosovo: this designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
How much does ETIAS cost?
The official fee is 20 euros for most adults. The fee was 7 euros until the Commission raised it in July 2025.
| Applicant | Fee |
|---|---|
| Adults aged 18 to 70 | 20 euros |
| Under 18 | No fee, but you still need to apply |
| Over 70 | No fee, but you still need to apply |
| Some family members of EU citizens | No fee |
Third-party sites may add their own service fee on top. The official system charges only the 20 euros.
What do you need to apply?
- A valid travel document. It should not expire in less than three months and should not be older than 10 years when you apply. At the border, it generally must remain valid for at least three months after your intended departure.
- Personal and passport details for the application form.
- An email address you can access. Your decision is sent there.
- A payment card for the fee, unless you are exempt.
Special passport rules: Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine require a biometric passport. Hong Kong and Macao SAR passports, and Taiwan passports that include an ID number, have their own document rules.
How long does ETIAS take?
| Case | Expected time |
|---|---|
| Most applications | A few minutes |
| Manual check needed | Up to 4 days |
| More information or documents requested | Up to 14 more days |
| Interview needed | Up to 30 days if you are invited to an interview |
Apply well before your trip once the system opens, in case your application needs extra checks.
How long is ETIAS valid?
ETIAS is valid for up to three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. It allows multiple entries while you respect the 90/180 limit. It is linked to the passport you used in the application, so a new passport needs a new ETIAS, and you must travel with the same document.
ETIAS vs EES: what is the difference?
| ETIAS | EES | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers | Border registration system for non-EU short-stay travellers |
| Status | Not operating, no start date | Fully operational since 10 Apr 2026 |
| Countries | 30 | 29, so not Cyprus or Ireland |
| What you do | Apply online before the trip | Register at the border, with fingerprints and a photo on your first crossing |
ETIAS is something you get before the trip. EES is something that happens at the border. For a trip covered by both systems, you may need ETIAS before travel and EES registration at the border. The systems do not cover exactly the same countries.
ETIAS scams
No application exists yet
Because ETIAS is not operating, any site that claims to issue an ETIAS today is not the official system. Do not pay it.
When applications open, use the official EU website or the official EU app. Official EU sites use the europa.eu domain. Commercial intermediaries can file an application for you, but they charge their own fee. The official site is travel-europe.europa.eu/etias.
What happens after approval?
- The authorisation is linked electronically to your passport. You do not need a paper copy, but you can keep one.
- Airlines and other carriers check it before you board.
- Border officers still check the entry conditions. A valid ETIAS does not guarantee entry.
ETIAS 2026 FAQ
What is ETIAS?
Can I apply for ETIAS now?
When does ETIAS start?
What is the ETIAS transitional period?
How much does ETIAS cost?
Is ETIAS a visa?
How long is ETIAS valid?
How long can I stay with ETIAS?
Do US citizens need ETIAS?
Do UK citizens need ETIAS?
Is ETIAS the same as EES?
Does ETIAS guarantee entry?
Where is the official ETIAS website?
How this page is built
The fee, the 30-country list, the 59-nationality list, validity and document rules come from the EU’s ETIAS pages. The July 2025 fee change comes from the European Commission. The launch status comes from the current wording of the main ETIAS site, which no longer gives a start date, and from press reports of eu-LISA’s June 2026 board review. Some older EU pages still show the previous target. The transitional and grace period details come from the EU’s published ETIAS timeline: at least six months each. The EU has not published exact dates.
Sources checked: official EU ETIAS site, EU: ETIAS alone will not be enough, European Commission: EES and ETIAS, eu-LISA: ETIAS.
Built and checked by R.K., Creator and Business Economics Analyst. Last updated 2 October 2026.