ETIAS requirements apply to citizens of more than 60 visa-exempt countries who plan short stays in 30 European countries: you need an approved online travel authorization linked to a machine-readable passport, obtained before you board, with a €20 fee for most adults. The system launches in the last quarter of 2026 and is handled entirely online through the official ETIAS website or mobile app. Approval usually arrives within minutes, but it is not a visa and not a guarantee of entry.
When the Requirement Starts
ETIAS begins operating in the last quarter of 2026. A transitional grace period of at least 12 months follows the launch, giving travelers time to adjust. Once that grace period ends, anyone from a visa-exempt country who arrives without a valid ETIAS will be turned away at the border or refused boarding by the airline.
Who Has to Apply
The requirement covers nationals of visa-exempt countries traveling to any of the 30 participating European countries for tourism, business, medical treatment, or transit through an international airport. That includes citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Japan, among many others.
The 30 countries are the 27 Schengen Area members plus Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania.1European Union. Who Should Apply Ireland is not on the list and keeps its own entry rules. The United Kingdom is not a participating country either; UK nationals now need ETIAS to enter the 30 countries that are.2European Union. Who Should Apply
If you hold dual citizenship and one of your passports was issued by any of the 30 ETIAS countries or by Ireland, you do not need ETIAS. Travel on that European passport instead. The exemption stands regardless of your other nationalities.3European Union. Dual Citizenship and ETIAS
Passport Rules Come First
Your passport is the foundation of the application, and it has to meet two conditions. It cannot expire within three months of the date you plan to leave Europe. And it must have been issued within the previous 10 years on the day you enter the EU.4Your Europe. Travel Documents for Non-EU Nationals A passport that has not technically expired but was issued more than 10 years ago will not qualify. It must also be machine-readable.
Check both dates before you apply. If your passport falls short on either, renew it first; the ETIAS you receive is tied electronically to that specific passport number.
What the Application Asks
Alongside your passport, you need a working email address and a debit or credit card. The online form collects your full name, date and place of birth, nationality, home address, parents’ first names, email, and phone number. It also asks for your occupation and highest level of education, and it puts questions to you about criminal convictions, travel to war or conflict zones, and whether any country has recently required you to leave.5European Union. What You Need to Apply – ETIAS
Every entry must match your passport exactly. A mismatch between what you type and what appears in the passport’s machine-readable zone can trigger a denial or a boarding refusal at the airport. Review the form carefully before you submit.
Fee, Exemptions, and Family Members
The standard fee is €20 for adult applicants, paid through a secure gateway at the end of the form. Two groups pay nothing: applicants under 18 and those over 70.6European Union. ETIAS – Frequently Asked Questions
Non-EU family members of EU, Icelandic, Liechtenstein, Norwegian, or Swiss citizens also apply for ETIAS but are exempt from the fee, and they get an exception from the three-month passport validity rule. Qualifying relationships include spouses (including same-sex spouses), registered partners where the host country treats registered partnerships as equivalent to marriage, dependent children under 21, and dependent relatives in the ascending line. The status only applies when the EU citizen is traveling to or living in a country other than their own. You declare the family relationship on the form and must be ready to prove it at the border. False claims can lead to revocation and denial of entry.6European Union. ETIAS – Frequently Asked Questions
When payment clears, you receive a confirmation receipt and a unique application number. Save both. The application number lets you check status while the system runs your details against Interpol, Europol, and other security databases.
How Long Approval Takes and Lasts
Most applications are decided within minutes. If yours is flagged for manual review, the timeline extends to up to 96 hours. Where authorities request additional documents or an interview, processing can take up to 30 days.6European Union. ETIAS – Frequently Asked Questions Apply well ahead of your trip rather than the night before your flight.
An approved authorization is valid for three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. During that window you can enter the 30 countries as often as you like for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.7European Union. What Is ETIAS If your passport expires before the three years are up, the authorization dies with it and you have to apply again with the new passport.6European Union. ETIAS – Frequently Asked Questions Because it is linked electronically to your passport, there is no separate document to carry; carriers and border guards see the status when they scan the passport.
ETIAS Does Not Guarantee Entry
Holding a valid ETIAS is a boarding prerequisite, not an entry ticket. Border guards on arrival still verify that you meet all standard entry conditions, and travelers who fail those checks can be refused entry even with an approved authorization.7European Union. What Is ETIAS
If Your Application Is Refused, Revoked, or Annulled
A refusal comes by email, with the grounds for the decision and the country whose authorities made it. You have the right to appeal, and the notification tells you where to send the appeal and what national procedure applies.8European Union. Your Right to Appeal A previous refusal does not automatically doom a future application, so reapplying later remains an option.6European Union. ETIAS – Frequently Asked Questions
An approved authorization can also be taken back. Authorities may revoke it if they find you no longer meet the conditions it was issued under, and may annul it if evidence shows you never met those conditions to begin with. False information on the application is one of the most common triggers for either.6European Union. ETIAS – Frequently Asked Questions You receive an email with the reasons and appeal information, and the appeal follows the same route as for a refusal. If you asked for the revocation yourself, there is no appeal right.8European Union. Your Right to Appeal