ETIAS Visa

ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It is a pre-travel screening requirement that the European Union is introducing for citizens of countries that currently enjoy visa-free access to the EU, including the United Kingdom.

The key thing to understand is that ETIAS is not a visa. British citizens will not need a visa to visit Europe; the visa-free arrangement allowing UK passport holders to travel to EU countries for short stays remains in place. However, ETIAS is a mandatory online authorisation that must be obtained before you travel. It is the EU’s equivalent of the American ESTA or the UK’s own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which the UK now requires from foreign nationals visiting Britain.

The system was first proposed by the European Commission in 2016, and its purpose is to improve border security by screening travellers from visa-exempt countries before they arrive at the EU border, rather than at it. ETIAS will cross-check each application against EU and international security databases, including Interpol records, the Schengen Information System, and databases of people wanted for serious crimes or terrorism.

When ETIAS is live, airlines, train operators, and ferry companies will be required to check that every applicable passenger holds a valid ETIAS authorisation before boarding. If you do not have one, you will not be allowed to board your flight or ferry.

Page Content

• What Is an ETIAS Visa?
• When Does ETIAS Launch?
• Do I Need an ETIAS? Who Should Apply?
• ETIAS Visa Requirements
• Required Documents for an ETIAS Application
• ETIAS Application Process
• ETIAS Approval and Entry Considerations
• EU Entry/Exit System and ETIAS Comparison
• ETIAS Visa Application Cost and Processing Time
• How Long Can I Stay in Europe with ETIAS?
• Can I Apply on Behalf of Someone Else?
• How Manchester Immigration Lawyers Can Help You
• Frequently Asked Questions

The European Commission has confirmed that ETIAS will begin operations in the last quarter of 2026, meaning October, November, or December 2026. No specific date within that window has been announced yet.

You cannot currently apply for an ETIAS. Any websites claiming to offer this are false. The only official website for ETIAS is travel-europe.europa.eu/etias, and that site is not yet accepting applications.

The delay from the originally planned launch is linked to the rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which had to be operational before ETIAS could follow.

EES started being introduced across all Schengen borders in April 2026, replacing passport stamps with biometric scans to digitally track when non-EU nationals enter and leave the Schengen Area.

ETIAS adds the pre-travel screening layer on top of EES.

At the moment, British citizens can still travel to Europe with just their passport, as they have since Brexit, but this will change once ETIAS launches.

If you are a British citizen travelling to any of the 30 countries covered by ETIAS for a short stay, you will need one once the system is live. The same applies to citizens of roughly 60 other countries that currently enjoy visa-free access to the EU, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

You do not need an ETIAS if:

• You are a citizen of an EU or Schengen Area country
• You are an Irish passport holder (Ireland is not in the Schengen Area)
• You are travelling on a valid Schengen visa
• You were legally resident in an EU country before 31 December 2020 and hold documentation proving your rights under the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, such as a biometric residence card
• You are aged under 18 or aged 70 or over (these groups are exempt from the fee, but may still need to apply; check official guidance when the system launches)

The 30 countries for which ETIAS will be required include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

This covers essentially all of the EU except Ireland and Cyprus (Cyprus requires ETIAS despite not being in the Schengen Area), plus four non-EU Schengen members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

Note that Ireland and the United Kingdom are not on this list, as neither is part of the Schengen Area. British citizens travelling to Ireland do not need an ETIAS.

To apply for an ETIAS, you will need to meet the following requirements:

• You must hold a valid passport from an ETIAS-eligible country (for UK travellers, this means a British passport)
• Your passport must meet the Schengen passport validity requirements (generally valid for at least three months after your intended departure)
• You must be travelling for a short stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period
• You must not be intending to work or study long-term in the EU during your stay (these activities require a separate visa or permit)
• You must not have a criminal history that would make you a security risk under the EU’s screening criteria

Each person travelling, including children and infants, must have their own individual ETIAS authorisation. There is no family or group ETIAS.

The ETIAS application is designed to be quick and straightforward. Unlike a traditional visa, there are no supporting documents to gather, no bank statements to provide, and no trip to an embassy or consulate. The information you will need to provide includes:

• Your passport details (number, issue date, expiry date, issuing country)
• Personal information (full name, date of birth, nationality, home address)
• Contact details (email address and phone number)
• Travel details (intended first country of entry)
• Background questions covering health, security, and travel history (for example, whether you have ever been refused entry to any country, or whether you have a serious illness that might be a public health risk)

Your ETIAS will be linked digitally to the passport you used when applying. If you renew your passport, you will need to apply for a new ETIAS linked to the new passport.

When applications open in Q4 2026, the process will work as follows. Here is a step-by-step guide to applying for an ETIAS visa authorisation once the system is live.

1. Go to the official ETIAS website at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias or use the official ETIAS mobile app. These will be the only legitimate ways to apply. Any websites other than the official site claiming to offer ETIAS are false. Be cautious of third-party sites that charge inflated fees or collect your personal data without authorisation.
2. Complete the online application form. This should take around ten minutes for most applicants. Answer all questions honestly and accurately. Providing false information is a serious offence that can result in your ETIAS being refused or revoked, and may affect future travel to the EU.
3. Pay the application fee of €7. Under-18s and those aged 70 and over are exempt from the fee.

In the majority of cases, a decision is issued automatically within minutes. However, it may take up to 30 days if additional checks are required. Given this possibility, it is advisable to apply at least 96 hours before your planned departure, or earlier if your trip is booked well in advance.

Once approved, your ETIAS is linked to your passport and does not need to be printed or carried as a physical document. Airlines and ferry operators will check it electronically when you check in. At the EU border, the immigration officer will verify your ETIAS as part of the EES process.

An important point that many travellers overlook is that ETIAS approval does not guarantee entry to the EU. It is a pre-travel authorisation, not a right of entry. The final decision on whether to admit any traveller rests with the border officer at the port of entry, who can still refuse entry if they have grounds to do so.

When you arrive at an EU border, you will still need to present your valid passport and be prepared to answer questions about your visit if asked. Border officers may also ask for evidence of onward travel, accommodation or sufficient funds where relevant.

With the EES now operational, your biometric data (fingerprints and a facial image) will also be recorded at your first EU border crossing.

If you are applying for ETIAS on behalf of someone else, for example, a child or an elderly relative, this is permitted. The person submitting the application on behalf of the traveller is called the “representative” and must provide their own details alongside those of the applicant. Parents can submit applications for their children.

Many people confuse EES with ETIAS or are unsure how they relate. They are two separate systems that together form the EU’s new digital border management framework.

EES (Entry/Exit System) is the biometric tracking system that records when and where non-EU nationals cross EU borders. It is already operational, having completed its phased rollout in April 2026. It applies at the border itself, replacing the physical stamping of passports. You do not apply for EES; it simply happens at the border. British travellers going to Europe now are already subject to EES.

ETIAS is the pre-travel authorisation system. It applies before you travel and is checked by the carrier (airline, train operator, ferry). It will not launch until late 2026.

The UK introduced its own Electronic Travel Authorisation for foreign visitors in April 2025. It costs £20, is valid for 2 years, and works similarly to ETIAS. The ETIAS is the EU’s equivalent of the UK ETA. The two systems are separate and have different fees, validity periods, and geographic coverage.

If you are currently in the EU on a valid Schengen visa, you do not need an ETIAS for the duration of that visa. ETIAS is only for visa-exempt travellers.

If you are booking European travel for late 2026 or into 2027, it is sensible to assume you will need an ETIAS. Apply as soon as the system opens rather than leaving it to the last minute, particularly for trips during peak travel periods when application volumes may be higher.

The confirmed fee for ETIAS is €20 per application. ETIAS is free for those under 18 and those aged 70 and over.

Processing time is expected to be a matter of minutes in most cases, as the system is largely automated. Where additional manual checks are required, decisions can take up to 96 hours. In exceptional cases, the process may take up to 30 days. For this reason, applying well in advance of your trip is sensible. The official guidance recommends applying at least 96 hours before you intend to travel.

ETIAS lasts for three years. You will be able to take multiple trips during this period with the same ETIAS. However, if your passport expires during the ETIAS validity period, you will need to apply for a new ETIAS.

ETIAS permits short stays only, meaning visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area. This is the same rule that currently applies to visa-free travel for British citizens. ETIAS does not extend this limit; it simply adds the pre-travel screening layer to the existing arrangement.

If you want to stay longer than 90 days, work, or study in any EU country, a separate national visa or residence permit is required. ETIAS does not cover those purposes.

Yes. ETIAS allows applications to be submitted by a representative on behalf of another person. This is most commonly used by parents applying for their children, or by carers or family members applying for an elderly or vulnerable relative.

The representative must provide their own full personal details in the application, along with the details of the person they are applying for. The representative takes on a degree of responsibility for the accuracy of the information submitted; providing false or inaccurate information, whether in your own application or one submitted on someone else’s behalf, can have serious consequences, including refusal, revocation, and restrictions on future EU travel.

Each person travelling must have their own ETIAS. Even if you are submitting on behalf of a group or family, a separate application and a separate fee (where applicable) are required for each individual.