What is ETIAS and do I need it to travel to Europe from the UK?
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is being introduced as a security measure that allows citizens of non-EU countries to travel to the EU without a visa. It’s a similar arrangement to the ESTA that will be familiar to travellers to the United States.
No date has been officially confirmed for the introduction of ETIAS, but it looks likely to be May 2026 before UK citizens will need this additional documentation to travel. The ETIAS is expected to cost around €7 and will be linked to travellers passports.
ETIAS is linked to the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES), the automated system planned to register visa-free and visa-required travellers entering Europe for a short stay.
EES is designed to replace the manual passport stamping process and will store facial images and fingerprints as well as the date and place of entry and exit, along with passport details of each traveller.
It’s important to say that travellers do not need to take any action prior to travelling after the introduction of EES – it’s essentially a new digital border management system for the EU.
The introduction of EES has been delayed significantly, the exact date that it will be introduced has not been confirmed, but currently this is anticipated to come into force in November 2025.
Once the EES has bedded in for six months, we will see the introduction of ETIAS. This system does require preparation before travel for most UK passport holders.
Visa exempt visitors such as UK citizens who are planning to travelling to the EU (and Schengen, EFTA countries and Cyprus) by any method - air, sea, or train, will need to apply for the ETIAS in advance of travel.
The ETIAS is not a Visa of any kind and possession of an ETIAS will not guarantee entry, it is predominantly a security measure. The ETIAS will not apply to Ireland as they have their own visa policy and are not part of the Schengen area.
Travellers will only need personal information, passports, and a payment method to apply online. ETIAS applications will be €7 each and applications for under 18’s and over 70’s are free of charge. Once granted, the ETIAS will be linked to the travellers passport, and will last for three years or up until the expiry of the passport, whichever is sooner.
The application process should take approximately 10 minutes, and the majority of applications should be processed within 20 minutes. However, some applications may take longer, so it will be important to apply well ahead of time.
Personal information - full name, DOB, place of birth, sex, nationality, home address, email, and phone number.
Parents' names - first and last names (if known).
Travel document information - passport number, issue/expiry dates.
Employment details – where applicable
Education information – where applicable
EU destination - the EU country you intend to arrive in and the address details of your accommodation there. This will only be required at the application stage, not for each entry into the EU during the life of the ETIAS.
Personal information – such as spent convictions, travel to places of conflict
So, for UK passport holders, nothing changes at the moment. Make sure that you stay informed by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Images - Unsplash
The links provided on this page are for informational purposes only. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or policies of external websites.
