ETIAS Applications, Not Open, October 15, 2026: What Travelers to France Need to Know

ETIAS applications are not open as of October 15, 2026, and the European Union says it is collecting no requests. The bloc has not confirmed when the travel authorisation will begin.

Travelers going to France should follow the entry rules that apply to their nationality. If they need a Schengen visa, they must still obtain one through France’s visa process.

Visa-exempt travelers do not need ETIAS as an additional document today. No agency or intermediary can issue a valid authorisation while the system is inactive.

A future start is expected, but the EU has not announced a date. An expectation that the system will begin no earlier than 2027 is not an official launch schedule.

More than 150 websites are offering ETIAS services

Luke Petherbridge, ABTA’s director of public affairs, said on October 13, 2026, that more than 150 websites were offering ETIAS services while travelers could not apply. He also said the system has no official start date.

“There is now no official launch date for the Etias system.”

Some websites use countdown clocks, advertise “pre-registration” or copy the look of EU pages. A payment request does not turn one of those offers into an official application.

Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder of AirAdvisor, said shifting dates have left travelers uncertain. He said people had “been hearing for years that Etias is coming, dates have repeatedly moved,” and urged suspicion of any claim that travelers must buy an authorisation now.

Hans Leijten, executive director of Frontex, was identified in warnings about fraudulent or misleading ETIAS websites. The agency is the EU border body involved in those warnings.

The future authorisation will cover visa-free short stays

France is among the 30 European countries that ETIAS is set to cover. The system will apply to nationals of visa-exempt countries outside the EU visiting for short stays, generally no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

ETIAS will not replace a visa. It is intended for travelers who are currently visa-exempt, rather than people who must obtain a Schengen visa before visiting France.

When applications begin, travelers are expected to use the official EU ETIAS website or its mobile app. The EU says it will announce the start several months ahead.

The planned fee is €20 for applicants aged 18 through 70. Applicants under 18 and over 70 will not pay, but they will still need an authorisation once the system is operating.

The authorisation will be attached to the traveler’s passport or other travel document. Anyone who gets a new passport will need to submit a new ETIAS application.

EES rollout problems have delayed the next border system

The EU has planned ETIAS to follow its Entry/Exit System (EES), which records biometric and travel data for many non-EU nationals entering or leaving the Schengen area. EES began its rollout on October 12, 2025, and was scheduled to become fully operational on April 10, 2026.

The reported rationale for sequencing the systems is that EES needs to work reliably before ETIAS starts. Accounts of the rollout describe software problems, long queues at major entry points and uneven implementation among European destinations.

Mark Tanzer, ABTA’s chief executive, said EES was still being introduced inconsistently across destinations. ABTA’s position is that ETIAS should wait until EES is fully operational and working properly. That is the travel association’s position, distinct from the EU’s confirmed statement that ETIAS is not operating and has no announced launch date.

Petherbridge said Europe needs time to address problems with the new border systems. “You absolutely have to use the time between now and next year to get these systems in place,” he said. The previously targeted final quarter of 2026 has been removed; the current expectation is no earlier than 2027, while the EU has said it will give travelers several months’ notice before launch.