What ETIAS actually is
ETIAS — the European Travel Information and Authorisation System — is a pre-travel authorisation that visa-exempt non-EU travellers will need before entering most European countries for a short stay. You apply online, it is linked to your passport, and most applications are meant to be approved within minutes. It is not a visa. It is a lighter, mostly-automated pre-screening, closer to the US ESTA than to a full visa.
Who will need one
Travellers who today enter the Schengen Area visa-free — for example holders of US, UK, Canadian, Australian and many other passports. If your nationality already requires a Schengen visa, ETIAS does not apply to you; you keep using the visa route. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it.
What it costs, and for how long
On 17 July 2025 the European Commission confirmed the fee at €20, up from the €7 originally planned — to cover operating costs, inflation, and to line up with similar schemes elsewhere. Once issued, an ETIAS authorisation is valid for three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, and covers multiple trips. Applicants under 18 or over 70 are exempt from the fee, though they still need an authorisation.
It does not change your 90/180 days
This is the part worth underlining. ETIAS is permission to travel, not permission to stay longer. It does not alter the Schengen 90/180 rule: you may still spend at most 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Area. Think of ETIAS as the key to the door, and the 90/180 window as the clock that starts ticking once you are inside.
How it fits with EES
ETIAS is the second of two new EU border systems. The first, the Entry/Exit System (EES), began a phased rollout and is set to be fully operational on 10 April 2026; it records each entry and exit digitally and automatically works out how many of your 90 days remain, replacing manual passport stamps. ETIAS follows it.
When it starts
According to the EU, ETIAS is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026, followed by a transitional period before it becomes strictly required. The exact start date is to be confirmed by the European Commission — and this timeline has been pushed back more than once, so treat any date as provisional until it is officially announced. During the transitional period, travellers should not be turned away solely for lacking an ETIAS if they otherwise qualify.
What to do now
- Check your nationality. Only currently visa-exempt travellers will need ETIAS; visa holders won't.
- Use the official site when it opens — and beware copycat sites that pad the price. The official fee is €20 (free for under-18s and over-70s).
- Keep counting your days. ETIAS or not, the 90/180 window still decides how long you can stay. If you move around a lot, a running day-count is what keeps you on the right side of it — which is exactly what Countly does, automatically and on your phone.
General information, not legal or immigration advice. ETIAS rules, fees and dates are set by the EU and have changed before — confirm the current details with official EU sources before you travel.