Europe's New Travel Requirement, ETIAS, Will Begin This Year — Here's What You Should Know

A new travel requirement for those wishing to visit some European countries has been in the works for years. It was supposed to debut in 2020, 2022, 2023, and then 2024. But it seems that 2026 will finally be the year it begins, per ETIAS.com. It's a response to "the increasing terrorist threat within Europe" and aims to strengthen border controls and checks on all visitors before they arrive.

The new travel requirement is called ETIAS, or European Travel Information and Authorization System. This will affect people who were previously able to travel to Europe without a visa and plan on traveling to one of the 30 countries that will require ETIAS. Here's what you should know.

The official European Union website states that ETIAS will start operating in the last quarter of 2026. They will announce the official start date a few months before it officially launches.

ETIAS is a new entry requirement for "visa-exempt nationals" going to one of 30 European countries listed on Travel Europe. It will be linked to your passport, and it will be valid for up to three years or until your passport expires, whichever happens first. If you get a new passport, you'll need a new ETIAS travel authorization.

ETIAS will allow you to enter the territory of the included European countries as often as you'd like for short-term stays, normally up to 90 days in any 180-day period, according to Travel Europe.

However, it does not guarantee entry. You'll still have to provide your passport and other documents to a border guard, who will determine whether you can officially cross into a country.

Travellers hoping to go to affected European countries during the fourth quarter of 2026 or later can apply for the authorization on the official ETIAS website or the mobile app. The application costs 20 euros, but some travellers may be exempt from the fee.

The application will ask for a travel document, "to which a visa may be affixed." The travel document shouldn't expire in fewer than three months or be older than 10 years. Whether or not you need a visa in addition to the ETIAS application depends on the specific country you'll be travelling to.

To apply, you'll also need to provide your personal information, such as your name, address, place of birth, nationality, phone number, travel document details, and parents' first names.

They'll also want to know your occupation and level of education, details about your future travel and where you'll be going, any details about criminal convictions, past travel to war or conflict zones, and whether you've been the subject of a decision requiring you to leave the territory of any country.

The ETIAS application may be processed in minutes, but it may take up to 14 days if you need to provide additional information. If you are selected to do an interview, the application could take up to 30 days to process.

After you apply, you'll receive an email with your application number first. Then you'll eventually receive another email detailing the outcome of the application.

You can check whether you'll need to apply for future travel here.