ETIAS: not running yet, as of 2026

As of September 1, 2026 ETIAS is not operational and accepts no applications: the start is expected in the last quarter of 2026, and the exact date will be announced by the EU months in advance.

The fee is 20 euro, not 7

The European Commission set the ETIAS fee at 20 euro on July 17, 2025, replacing the 7 euro figure written into the 2018 regulation. The decision went through a two-month scrutiny period by the Council and the European Parliament.

Travelers under 18 and over 70 pay nothing. For everyone else it is a single payment, made online with the application, and it takes effect only when the system goes live.

No site can sell you one in 2026

The only official channel is the ETIAS site and app at travel-europe.europa.eu, and in 2026 that channel is not taking applications. Any page charging you for an ETIAS today is charging for nothing.

This is the reason the page exists. The 20 euro figure is real and public, which makes it easy for a copycat site to look plausible.

What ETIAS will be when it starts

It will apply to visa-exempt non-EU citizens traveling to 30 European countries, the 29 Schengen states plus Cyprus, for stays up to 90 days in any 180¹. The authorization will last 3 years, or until the passport expires if that happens first.

It is linked to the passport, so there is nothing to print and carry. Carriers will check it before boarding, which is how the requirement becomes real at the airport rather than at the border.

The legal base is Regulation (EU) 2018/1240¹, adopted on September 12, 2018 and in force since October 9, 2018. The delay between that date and today is the reason so much of what circulates online is out of date.

EES is a different system, and it is already live

The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since April 10, 2026, after a progressive start on October 12, 2025. At the external borders of the 29 Schengen countries it records your travel document data, a face image, fingerprints, and the date and place of every entry and exit, including refusals of entry.

It replaces the stamp in the passport, and it applies to all non-EU travelers on a short stay, whether they need a visa or not. In countries that use it, pre-registration is possible up to 72 hours before arrival with the "Travel to Europe" app. The system is run by eu-LISA.

Two systems, two jobs: EES counts your days at the border, ETIAS will screen you before you travel.

Why this page carries a short shelf life

The ETIAS facts on this page expire on December 31, 2026, deliberately, because a start date can be announced or postponed at any moment. When that date lands, this page changes.

Until then, the honest answer to "should I apply" is that there is nothing to apply for.

↑ Contents