The European Union set a €20 (approximately £17 or $21) application fee for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, a new pre-travel requirement for visa-exempt visitors heading to Europe.
The EU scheduled the system to launch in the last quarter of 2026, meaning travelers should expect it to begin between October and December, rather than on a single guaranteed start date.
ETIAS works as a pre-travel authorization, not a visa, for people who currently travel visa-free to many European destinations. Instead of turning up with only a passport and a ticket, eligible travelers will need to secure an approval before they depart.
The change adds a new step before travel, while Europe also prepares to change what happens at the border itself through a separate system that records entries and exits digitally.
Under ETIAS, visa-exempt travelers will apply online or via a mobile app, and the authorization will tie to the passport used in the application. A new passport will mean a new authorization, because approval lasts three years or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever comes first.
The scale is broad. The requirement applies to visa-exempt nationals from 59 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, for travel to 30 European countries, described as the Schengen Area plus Cyprus.
For many travelers, the most immediate impact will come at the start of the journey, not on arrival. Travelers will need an approved ETIAS before boarding a flight or ship to Europe, and carriers can check that status as part of their departure controls.
The confirmed €20 fee applies to applicants aged 18–70. Minors and seniors are exempt from paying, but they must still obtain authorization.
The EU set the fee at €20 after earlier proposals pitched a lower price. The new fee has tripled from the originally proposed €7 to €20 to cover “inflation and expanded cybersecurity infrastructure.”
The fee covers the authorization process itself, rather than other travel costs such as flights, accommodation, insurance, or any charges connected to border checks. Travelers will still need to meet any routine entry conditions that apply to their nationality and destination.
While ETIAS is a European Union initiative, U.S. agencies have also highlighted how border and identity checks are shifting toward more digital and biometric controls, as governments seek tighter screening before travel.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection began requiring a “live-photo” facial verification step for all new ESTA applications starting February 1, 2026, in a parallel security move for travelers heading to the United States. That rule led to the invalidation of “thousands” of existing travel authorizations that lacked this biometric data.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security framed measures of this type as essential “anti-fraud and counter-terrorism tools,” tied to modernizing border security through biometric verification and expanded data collection.
For U.S. travelers, the State Department has already pointed to the coming European change. In an update on November 24, 2025, its “U.S. Travelers in Europe” guide said: “The EU is developing a travel information and authorization system called ETIAS. It plans to launch in late 2026.”
Europe’s move links to a wider border modernization effort that splits into two phases: an at-the-border biometric entry system and a before-travel authorization system for visa-exempt visitors.
The first phase is the Entry/Exit System, known as EES, which replaces manual passport stamps with biometric registration and automated entry/exit logging. EES becomes mandatory as of April 10, 2026.
Markus Lammert, European Commission spokesperson, described the rollout approach earlier this month. “The progressive deployment of the EES will end on April 9th 2026. Member States will still be able to partially suspend EES operations where necessary. to cover the summer peak,” Lammert said on February 2, 2026.
EES focuses on what happens when a traveler reaches a border point, including airports and land crossings. The plan involves biometric registration using facial images and fingerprints, moving away from manual stamping as the primary record of entry and exit.
ETIAS forms the second phase, by pushing screening earlier in the travel timeline and making authorization a condition of boarding for visa-exempt visitors. The practical effect is that airlines and other carriers become a key compliance checkpoint, because travelers who arrive at check-in without a valid authorization can face denial of boarding.
The application process centers on electronic submission, using the official EU portal and related channels. Travelers looking for updates, launch readiness, and application access can start at the official ETIAS website, ETIAS information.
Officials have stressed timing discipline as the system nears launch. Travelers must apply at least 96 hours before departure, a requirement that adds planning pressure for last-minute trips and for passengers rebooking after cancellations.
Decision times can vary. Most applications are approved within minutes, but some may take up to 30 days if flagged for manual review by EU security agencies.
That difference creates a clear risk pattern: travelers who assume an instant decision, or who enter incorrect passport details, can end up unable to board. The risk rises for people who renew passports close to travel dates, because an approval lasts three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and a replacement passport changes the identifier.
The broader scope of the rule also creates common misunderstandings for travelers who focus only on a single airport or a single carrier. ETIAS applies based on nationality and destination, not on which airline a passenger uses, and it covers the participating countries listed by the EU as 30 European countries, described as the Schengen Area plus Cyprus.
The “£17 charge” label reflects the pound conversion of the €20 fee, rather than a UK-specific payment. British travelers remain among the nationalities covered as visa-exempt visitors who will need an authorization for the destinations within scope, even though the United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union.
For travelers, the compliance checklist starts well before the gate. Applicants should ensure their passport details match exactly across bookings, identity documents, and the authorization application, because carriers can check approval status before boarding a flight or ship to Europe.
The U.S. experience with ESTA offers a recent example of how quickly new technical requirements can disrupt travel. CBP’s “live-photo” step for new ESTA applications started on February 1, 2026, and the invalidation of “thousands” of existing authorizations underscored how a missing biometric element can block departure even for travelers who previously held approval.
U.S. travelers preparing for Europe can track official messaging through government travel guidance, including the State Department page for U.S. Travelers in Europe, which flagged ETIAS as a late-2026 change.
Those planning trips in the other direction can also compare requirements with CBP’s ESTA information, where the United States sets out its own pre-travel authorization framework for visa-waiver travelers.
For Europe-bound passengers, the core message is sequencing. EES changes the on-arrival process by recording entries and exits digitally and using biometric checks, while ETIAS changes pre-departure routines by requiring visa-exempt travelers to secure authorization before boarding.
Travelers seeking to avoid airport surprises will likely focus on three practical points embedded in the new rules: applying early enough to absorb possible manual review time, using the correct passport details, and checking official instructions as Europe moves toward the Q4 2026 launch.
The EU’s official ETIAS site, travel to Europe via ETIAS, is expected to remain the primary reference for when applications open, how the online and mobile channels work, and what steps travelers must complete before they head to the airport or port.
