EU delays ETIAS until 2027

The European Union is pushing back the rollout of ETIAS, its long-delayed travel authorisation system for visa-exempt visitors, into 2027, according to reports on July 8, even though the bloc’s official ETIAS website still says operations will begin in the last quarter of 2026. ETIAS is the online pre-screening system that will apply to travellers from countries including the United States before short stays in 30 European countries. The fee has been set at 20 euros, up from an earlier planned 7 euros, according to European Commission materials. The latest delay adds another gap between the EU’s public-facing timeline and what travellers are now being told to expect. ### If ETIAS is delayed, what is the rule for U.S. travellers right now? The U.S. State Department says Americans do not need to pay a fee before entering the Schengen Area or EU at this point. The department says the EU is still developing ETIAS and plans to launch it in late 2026, while directing travellers to the official ETIAS site for updates. (euronews.com) The official ETIAS website says “no action is required from travellers at this point.” It also says the European Union will announce the specific start date several months before the system goes live. ### What exactly is ETIAS supposed to do? ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. The European Commission says it will require nationals of 59 visa-exempt countries and territories to apply online before travelling for a short stay of up to 90 days within any 180-day period in 30 European countries. (travel.state.gov) (travel-europe.europa.eu) The Commission says ETIAS is a travel authorisation, not a visa. Travellers will apply through an official website or mobile app once the system opens, and the authorisation is meant to be checked before departure rather than replaced by a visa process. (travel-europe.europa.eu) ### Why are reports now pointing to 2027 instead of 2026? Euronews reported on July 8, citing the Financial Times, that the EU is set to delay ETIAS until 2027 after disruption linked to the rollout of the separate Entry/Exit System, or EES. Other travel industry outlets published similar reports this week, while noting that no updated official launch date had yet appeared on the EU’s ETIAS pages. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The EU’s own published timeline has not yet caught up. A March 2025 Home Affairs update said ministers had endorsed a sequence under which EES would come first and ETIAS would follow in the last quarter of 2026. A January 2026 Commission explainer repeated that ETIAS was scheduled for the last quarter of 2026, with the exact date to be confirmed later. (euronews.com) ### How much will travellers pay when it finally starts? The European Commission says the ETIAS application fee has been set at 20 euros. The Commission said the increase from 7 euros reflected inflation since 2018 and added operational costs tied to new technical features. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) The official ETIAS site says the system is comparable to pre-travel authorisation programmes already used by countries including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For travellers, the practical point remains unchanged for now: no ETIAS application portal is open yet, and no payment is currently due. (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu) ### What should travellers watch next? The clearest next marker is an update on the official ETIAS website. The site says the EU will give notice several months before launch, and the current public wording still points to the last quarter of 2026 even as outside reporting points to 2027. For now, travellers should treat any site asking them to apply or pay as premature, because the official EU pages say ETIAS is not yet in operation. (travel-europe.europa.eu) The next formal change is likely to appear first in updated European Commission or ETIAS guidance naming a specific start date and the opening of the application system. (travel-europe.europa.eu)