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ETIAS: start date, the €20 fee and what the EU has officially said so far

1 published version. Every version stays readable at its own address, and nothing is removed without a correction note.

  1. Version 1Current · created

    Record created.

    • Timeline added: The Commission proposed ETIAS on 16 November 2016.
    • Timeline added: EU lawmakers adopted Regulation (EU) 2018/1240, the ETIAS law, on 12 September 2018. It took effect on 9 October 2018.
    • Timeline added: When it announced the new fee on 17 July 2025, the Commission said the change would go through a two-month review by the Council and the European Parliament, which could be extended once.
    • Timeline added: ETIAS follows the EU Entry/Exit System, which started on 12 October 2025.
    • Confirmed: ETIAS is a new entry requirement for visa-free travellers visiting 30 European countries for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
    • Confirmed: The UK government's guidance, last updated in April 2026, says the EU is expected to start ETIAS operations from autumn 2026 and that travellers need to take no action yet.
    • Confirmed: Once ETIAS opens, you apply on the official ETIAS website or mobile app. You fill in a form with personal, passport and trip details and pay a one-off fee. The Commission says most applications are approved within minutes.
    • Confirmed: You need the approval before you board or set off. Airlines and other carriers will check that you have it.
    • Confirmed: Travellers who need a visa for these countries do not need ETIAS. The Commission's example is a citizen of India, who needs a visa instead. Both groups are recorded in the Entry/Exit System at the border.
    • Confirmed: When it announced the new fee on 17 July 2025, the Commission said the change would go through a two-month review by the Council and the European Parliament, which could be extended once.
    • Confirmed: Once ETIAS starts, travellers with a UK passport and no visa or residence permit will need an authorisation before entering the Schengen area. They will give personal and trip details and pay the fee.
    • Confirmed: The UK government warns that any website selling ETIAS now is doing so fraudulently, and that travellers should apply only on the official EU website once applications open.
    • Confirmed: Border guards will check the ETIAS authorisation together with the traveller's documents. The EU agency eu-LISA is building the system.
    • Confirmed: The Commission proposed ETIAS on 16 November 2016.
    • Confirmed: EU lawmakers adopted Regulation (EU) 2018/1240, the ETIAS law, on 12 September 2018. It took effect on 9 October 2018.
    • Confirmed: ETIAS follows the EU Entry/Exit System, which started on 12 October 2025.
    • Source added: European Travel Information Authorisation System (European Commission (incl. Travel to Europe: ETIAS and EES))
    • Source added: EU Entry/Exit System (GOV.UK)
    • Source added: EES vs ETIAS: Main differences to know for travellers (European Commission (incl. Travel to Europe: ETIAS and EES))
    • Source added: The European travel authorisation ETIAS will cost EUR 20 (European Commission (incl. Travel to Europe: ETIAS and EES))