ETIAS Frequently Asked Questions

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is a pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers visiting 30 European countries for short stays (up to 90 days in any 180-day period). It is not a visa — it's a lighter, online screening linked to your passport.

ETIAS is planned to start operating in the last quarter of 2026, after the Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully operational. The EU will announce the exact start date several months in advance. No action is required from travellers yet.

Neither. ETIAS is a travel authorisation for travellers who don't need a visa. It involves an online application, a €20 fee and an automated security screening — no embassy visit, no biometrics, no health information. It only covers short stays and gives no right of residence.

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, across the 30 participating countries combined. Days spent in Cyprus are counted separately. For longer stays — work, study, living — you need a national visa or permit.

No. ETIAS authorises you to travel to the border; the final decision is made by border guards, who verify your passport and the entry conditions. Without a valid ETIAS, carriers will refuse boarding.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) registers non-EU travellers when they cross the external border, replacing passport stamps. ETIAS screens visa-exempt travellers before they set off. EES started rolling out in October 2025; ETIAS follows in late 2026.

Nationals of around 59 visa-exempt countries and territories — including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil and South Korea — travelling to the 30 participating European countries for short stays.

Citizens of the 30 ETIAS countries and Ireland; nationals of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican; holders of a Schengen visa; holders of residence permits or cards issued by ETIAS countries; UK Withdrawal-Agreement beneficiaries with a residence document; refugees and stateless persons residing in an ETIAS country; and holders of diplomatic, service or special passports from visa-exempt countries, among other exemptions.

If one of your nationalities is from an ETIAS country or Ireland, you don't need ETIAS — but you must travel with that country's passport. If it has expired, get a new one from the consulate; you can't combine your other passport with ETIAS instead.

Yes, travellers of all ages need an authorisation, but applicants under 18 don't pay the fee. The application of a minor must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian. An authorisation obtained as a minor remains valid after turning 18.

Yes, UK nationals need ETIAS for short stays. Exception: beneficiaries of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement who hold the uniform-format residence document issued by an ETIAS country are exempt (special rules apply for documents issued by Cyprus or Ireland).

If you hold a residence permit or residence card issued by one of the ETIAS countries, you don't need ETIAS while it is valid. Residence documents issued by Cyprus or Ireland have special rules — check the official guidance.

If you stay airside and don't cross the external border, ETIAS is generally not required. Rules will be confirmed in the official guidance at launch — check before you fly.

Once ETIAS launches, you apply online via the official EU ETIAS website (travel-europe.europa.eu) or the official mobile app. There is no paper form and no embassy visit.

A valid passport (not older than 10 years, valid for at least 3 more months), a payment card for the €20 fee, and your personal, travel and background information. Some nationalities need a biometric passport — see our requirements page.

Yes. You can apply before booking anything — in fact, the EU recommends getting your ETIAS before you buy tickets or book accommodation.

Most applications are decided within minutes. Otherwise you receive a decision within four days — extendable to 14 days if extra information is requested, or 30 days if you are invited to an interview.

Yes — a third party (a relative or a commercial intermediary) can apply for you. You both sign a declaration of representation, one per traveller, and the application must use an e-mail address you personally control. Be wary of intermediaries charging excessive fees.

The official portal and form will be available in a broad set of languages — the EU site currently publishes information in all EU languages plus the languages of the visa-exempt countries.

€20, paid online during the application. Applicants under 18 or over 70 and qualifying family members of EU citizens pay nothing. Anything above €20 means you're paying an intermediary — or being scammed.

No. The €20 fee covers the processing of your application and is not refunded if the outcome is negative.

Up to three years, or until the passport used in the application expires — whichever comes first. You can travel as often as you like within that period, respecting the 90/180-day rule.

No. ETIAS is electronically linked to your travel document, so a new passport always means applying for a new ETIAS. The same applies if your name, gender or nationality changes.

Data in your ETIAS must exactly match your passport — otherwise you'll be refused boarding and entry. The official portal will explain how to correct mistakes; in some cases you'll need to reapply.

Your ETIAS is linked to the lost document, so after getting a replacement travel document you will need a new ETIAS for future trips. Report the loss to local police and your consulate.

Typical grounds: a security, irregular-migration or public-health risk identified during screening, an alert in EU information systems, or incorrect or incomplete data in the application. The refusal e-mail always states the grounds.

Yes. The refusal e-mail names the country whose authorities took the decision and explains how to appeal there; the procedure and deadlines follow that country's national law. You can also simply apply again with corrected information.

Yes — it can be revoked if the conditions are no longer met, or annulled if it should never have been issued. You're informed by e-mail with the reasons and appeal options. If it happens while you're in Europe, contact the local authorities.

In exceptional circumstances — humanitarian reasons or important obligations such as a funeral, urgent medical care or a court appearance — you can request an ETIAS with limited validity, covering only specific countries for up to 90 days.

No. As of today no application is possible and no action is required. Any website claiming to take ETIAS applications now is not official.

The official ETIAS portal lives on the EU domain travel-europe.europa.eu, and there will be an official mobile app. The official fee is €20 — unofficial intermediaries typically charge several times that.

The EU states that ETIAS data is processed under strict EU data-protection rules, with defined access for border and security authorities. Never share your application data with unofficial websites — and note that the official form never asks for health information or biometrics.