- More than 150 websites offer ETIAS services, but the EU system is not operational and cannot accept applications.
- Officials have announced no confirmed launch date; the planned fee is twenty euros when applications eventually open.
- Frontex warns unofficial sites can expose travelers to identity fraud and data theft, while a separate phishing campaign targets EES information.
More than 150 websites are reportedly offering to arrange ETIAS, although the EU system is not operational and cannot accept applications. As of October 13, 2026, officials have set no confirmed launch date.
Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs at ABTA, said the authorization had been put on hold after it had been expected to start this year. He said it should not begin until the EU’s Entry/Exit System, or EES, is fully operational and working properly.
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“While Etias was due to come into force this year, it is now back on hold.”
Petherbridge said travelers should wait. Anyone paying a site that claims to issue an authorization now is paying for something that cannot yet be provided.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, has warned that unofficial services can expose travelers to data theft, identity fraud, excessive fees and misleading eligibility advice. Some intermediaries may be allowed to submit applications once the system launches, but that does not make every site trustworthy.
Lookalike sites can collect payment and passport details
Some sites copy EU branding, use domain names resembling official addresses and mimic the appearance of the government portal. Paid search listings can make them look like routine travel services. A promise of immediate approval is another warning sign.
Reported charges range from €50 to €178. The planned official charge is much lower, and applications cannot be submitted at any price today. Sites may collect payment details, passport scans and other personal information, creating risks beyond the loss of the fee.
Frontex has also warned that third-party sites may give inaccurate advice about who needs authorization. A traveler could pay for an unnecessary service or hand over information without receiving a valid document. Commercial intermediaries may eventually submit applications for customers, but travelers will still need to check fees, data practices and the operator’s identity.
The planned fee is €20, up from the earlier proposed €7. The system has not launched, so there is no application fee to pay now.
| Planned detail | What travelers should know |
|---|---|
| Fee | €20 when the system launches, increased from the proposed €7 |
| Fee exemption | Applicants under 18 or over 70 are expected to pay no fee, but will still need authorization where required |
| Eligible travelers | Visa-exempt non-EU nationals, including citizens of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia, traveling to participating European destinations |
| Authorization period | Expected to be linked to a passport for up to three years, or until that passport expires, whichever comes first |
The authorization is not a conventional Schengen visa. It is intended for visa-exempt travelers visiting participating European destinations, and its planned validity depends on the traveler’s passport.
A separate fake border form has also targeted travelers
The delay has coincided with a different online deception involving the EES. Kaspersky identified phishing emails that impersonated an EU migration authority and falsely told tourists to file a digital “migration declaration” five working days before entering the Schengen Area.
The messages threatened additional border checks or temporary refusal of entry. Their linked pages used EU imagery and multiple languages, then asked for personal details, travel dates and information about accompanying travelers. Some also requested passport scans.
Georgy Kucherin, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team, urged travelers to avoid unexpected links and document uploads.
“Don’t click links in unexpected emails or upload passport scans or other documents to third-party websites.”
Travelers do not currently need to register for EES online in advance. The false declaration campaign is separate from the sites marketing the future authorization, but both seek sensitive travel information under the appearance of an official process.
Public awareness has risen as the systems remain unsettled
Research by the travel association found that awareness of upcoming European border requirements rose from 41% in 2024 to 56% in 2026. Petherbridge’s position is that the new authorization should wait until the EES is operating properly, a concern tied to the prospect of overlapping digital border requirements and greater traveler confusion.
A separate 2026 audit of visa-related Google advertisements found that only 8% of ads for unofficial visa providers carried the label “Not a government website.” Sites reviewed in that audit charged between two and 30 times official visa prices.
The EU’s official portal is the channel travelers should rely on once applications open. Until an EU launch announcement, travelers should not pay sites claiming to issue the authorization or submit passport details through advertisements, emails or third-party application pages.
