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Independent site. We are not the EU or any government, we don’t process ETIAS or visa applications and we never charge for them. ETIAS is not in operation yet: nobody can apply today. Ignore any site asking you to pay for it now.

ETIAS status

Status today: Not in operation — you cannot apply yet

ETIAS is not in operation. No applications are being collected. The EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch.

Checked on · Official source

Dated history

  1. Official site still says ETIAS is not in operation

    Checked by us: the official ETIAS website states that ETIAS is not in operation, no applications are collected, and the start date will be announced several months in advance.

    Official source

  2. Guidance for travel agents published

    Travel agents and other intermediaries will be allowed to apply on behalf of clients once ETIAS is live, after signing a declaration of representation. Carriers will check for a valid authorisation before boarding.

    Official source

  3. UK nationals: ETIAS expected from the last quarter of 2026

    The EU said UK nationals will need ETIAS 'starting from the last quarter of this year', checked before boarding planes, cruises and trains from the UK.

    Official source

  4. Fee set at EUR 20

    The application fee rises from the previously planned EUR 7 to EUR 20. Applicants under 18 or over 70 are among those exempt from paying it.

    Official source

  5. Revised timeline: ETIAS expected in the last quarter of 2026

    EU Home Affairs Ministers endorsed a revised timeline on 5 March 2025: the EES first (October 2025), then ETIAS, expected in the last quarter of 2026.

    Official source

  6. How the first year will work: transitional and grace periods

    After launch there will be a transitional period of at least six months (you should apply, but won't be refused only for lacking ETIAS), then a grace period of at least six months (ETIAS required, except on your first entry after the transitional period).

    Official source

Don’t pay anyone for ETIAS today

Since nobody can apply yet, any website taking money for an ETIAS application today is not giving you anything you can use. Once ETIAS starts, the only official channels will be the official ETIAS website and the official mobile app, and the fee will be EUR 20.

The official site warns that some commercial intermediaries:

  • try to look like the official channel, so their extra fee seems compulsory;
  • misuse applicants’ personal or financial data;
  • charge unreasonably high prices;
  • don’t submit the application on time or correctly.

Intermediaries will be allowed to apply on your behalf after ETIAS starts, but it is never compulsory. If you think you have been affected, use the official report abuse page. We are not the official site and we don’t process applications.

Key facts once ETIAS is live

  • Who: nationals of 59 visa-free countries and territories. Check your nationality.
  • Where: 30 European countries: the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus.
  • Fee: EUR 20. Applicants under 18 or over 70 are among those exempt from paying.
  • Validity: up to three years, or until your passport expires if that comes first. A new passport needs a new ETIAS.
  • It doesn’t add days. You will still be limited to 90 days in any 180-day period, and a valid ETIAS doesn’t guarantee entry.
  • Gradual start: a transitional period of at least six months, then a grace period of at least six months (see the history above).

We update this page by hand when the official site changes. Each entry links to its official source and shows the date it was published there.