ETIAS - the second part of the EU's new border control measures - will apply to tourists entering Europe from non-EU or non-Schengen zone countries (including the UK) as well as others coming for short visits.
Under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), non-EU nationals who can travel to the Schengen area without a visa will have to apply for an online travel authorisation before departure, providing information such as name, date of birth and travel document number. They will also have to pay a fee for the three-year travel authorisation (although under 18s and over 70s are exempt).
The Commission said on Friday that the ETIAS is expected to become operational in the last quarter of 2026, at a higher fee than initially planned.
"Taking into account the rise in inflation since 2018 and additional operational costs related eg to new technical features integrated into the system, the fee will be adjusted to €20 per application, valid for a period of three years,” the Commission said.
"It will also bring the cost for a travel authorisation to the EU in line with similar travel authorisation programmes such as the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA),” the EU executive added.
The UK launched its Electronic Travel Authorisation in 2023 and extended it to EU nationals in 2025, increasing its cost from £10 to £16 in April. While the ETA lasts two years, the ETIAS is valid for three years.
The US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) costs $21.
People under 18 or over 70 years of age at the time of application will be exempted from the ETIAS fee.
The new fee will have to be endorsed by the EU Council and the European Parliament in the coming months.
Which one is ETIAS again?
The EU has big changes planned at its external borders, with two new systems - EES and ETIAS.
EES is an enhanced passport check requiring biometrics including fingerprints and a facial scan.
ETIAS is a travel authorisation which must be applied for online - and paid for - ahead of travel.
The ETIAS “is part of the new IT architecture of the EU that aims to strengthen security within our Union, while facilitating travelling of non-EU nationals,” the Commission said.
Both schemes apply only to people who are travelling on the passport of a non-EU or Schengen zone country, and both schemes have a number of exemptions - including non-EU citizens who have residency within an EU or Schengen zone country.
Find the full details here.
When are these changes coming in?
Initially envisioned for 2018, EES and ETIAS have been the subject of numerous delays, first because of the pandemic and then because of fears of queues at the border as countries struggled to get the necessary infrastructure in place. The busy UK-France border is a particular worry.
The EES is set to begin its phased roll out in October 2025 after several delays due to the functioning of the huge IT infrastructure behind it and concerns expressed by several member states and travel companies at the chaos it could provoke, especially at juxtaposed border checks in the UK.
ETIAS is currently scheduled for the last quarter of 2026 - although the plan is to wait until EES is working smoothly before ETIAS is introduced, so it could be delayed again.
Emma Pearson
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