ETIAS: UK Start Date, Countries, And Rules Explained

If you’ve flown to a Schengen country as a non-EU citizen recently, you might have been confronted with long lines and even cancelled flights.

That’s because the new Entry/Exit System (EES) rules have become fully operational, and require all eligible passengers who haven’t done so yet to provide new data like fingerprints.

While the pass stays valid for three years, signing multiple passengers up to the system for the first time all at once has led to chaos in some airports.

But this was step one of enabling another EU security system called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), set to start operations in the final quarter of 2026.

It’s a visa waiver system that’s linked to people’s passports. The BBC reported that it will build on the EES; The Independent explained that it depends on the EES being fully operational.

“Starting from the last quarter of 2026, some 1.4 billion people from 59 visa-exempt countries and territories are required to have a travel authorisation to enter 30 European countries for a short stay,” ETIAS’ site reads.

It’s a permit that some people from “third-country visa-free nations”, which includes the UK after Brexit, will have to obtain before short stays in Schengen countries. It’s been compared to the US ESTA scheme.

ETIAS is meant to increase border security.

Per the EU, “UK nationals [will be] required to have a valid Etias travel authorisation if they travel to any of the European countries requiring Etias for a short-term stay (90 days in any 180-day period).”

1. Austria,
2. Belgium,
3. Bulgaria,
4. Croatia,
5. Cyprus,
6. Czechia,
7. Denmark,
8. Estonia,
9. Finland,
10. France,
11. Germany,
12. Greece,
13. Hungary,
14. Iceland,
15. Italy,
16. Latvia,
17. Liechtenstein,
18. Lithuania,
19. Luxembourg,
20. Malta,
21. Netherlands,
22. Norway,
23. Poland,
24. Portugal,
25. Romania,
26. Slovakia,
27. Slovenia,
28. Spain,
29. Sweden, and
30. Switzerland.

Ireland is excluded from the list. UK passport holders will need an ETIAS to access Gibraltar.

The application should be processed in “minutes,” ETIAS’ site said, though they warned it could take longer – up to 30 days if they decide to interview you based on your application.

“This is why you should apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation well in advance of your planned journey,” they said.

In fact, the EU said, it’s best to apply “before you buy your ticket or book your accommodation”.

It will cost €20 (£17) to complete the forms.

It lasts for three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

Because ETIAS passes will be linked to people’s passports, the EU has said that “If you get a new passport, you need to get a new ETIAS travel authorisation.”

That’s a bit vague at the moment. Though the ETIAS site says the scheme will “start operations in the last quarter of 2026,” that doesn’t mean it’ll be roundly enforced by that date.

The EU have not set a specific start point in stone yet: “The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch”.

“The launch of ETIAS will be followed by a transitional period of at least six months,” the EU added. That means UK fliers can expect rule changes in April 2027 at the earliest.

Then, there’s a six-month, one-time “grace period” for fliers “coming to Europe for the first time since the end of the transitional period”.

These “will be allowed to enter without an ETIAS provided they fulfil all remaining entry conditions. All other travellers will be refused entry if they do not hold an ETIAS travel authorisation”.

You can only take advantage of this once, however, on your first post-ETIAS flight.

You’ll apply using the official ETIAS website or the ETIAS app. No non-Internet option is mentioned on ETIAS’s site.

Applicants will be given a number which you are advised to keep for future reference.

Your data will be checked against various databases, including those from the RU and Interpol.

You’ll be given an email explaining the outcome of your application once it’s been processed.

If you’ve been denied entry, the email will explain why and will give you information on how to appeal.

No – it’s linked to travel documents like your passport.

That’s why you need to make sure its details are consistent with those on your ETIAS application.

When your passport is checked at the border, your ETIAS status will be too.

A successful application doesn’t guarantee entry, either: “When you arrive at the border, border guards will verify that you meet the entry conditions. Those travellers who do not meet the entry conditions will be refused entry.”