ETIAS 2026: What It Is, Who Needs It, What It Costs, and When It Starts
If your passport lets you visit Europe without a visa, you're used to booking a flight and simply turning up. That's going to change. The EU's European Travel Information and Authorisation System, better known as ETIAS, will soon require you to get online approval before you travel. It isn't a visa. Think of it as a short form, a fee and a security check, done once every three years.
There is a lot of confusion online about when ETIAS starts and what it costs, and scam websites are taking advantage of it. So let's start with the most important point: as of September 2026, ETIAS is not yet accepting applications. The EU had aimed to launch it in the last quarter of 2026, but that date has been taken off the official website and a launch in 2027 now looks more likely. Any site that offers to "process your ETIAS" today is not official.
This guide explains what ETIAS is, who will need it, what it will cost, how applying will work, and how to avoid getting caught out. We'll update it when the EU confirms a start date.
What ETIAS Is and Isn't
ETIAS is a travel authorization, not a visa. It works much like the US ESTA or Canada's eTA. You fill in an online form, answer some security questions, pay a fee, and in most cases get approved within minutes. The approval is linked to your passport and lasts for three years, or until that passport expires if sooner, and it covers any number of trips to the 30 European countries in the scheme.
It doesn't change how long you can stay. Visa-free visitors can still spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area. ETIAS doesn't extend that limit or shorten it. Border guards can still ask about your trip and refuse entry if you don't meet the normal entry conditions, even if you hold a valid ETIAS.
Who Will Need ETIAS
Once it launches, ETIAS will apply to citizens of countries that can currently visit the Schengen Area visa-free. That includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE and around 50 other countries. The official list is on the EU's Travel Europe website.
If your country already needs a Schengen visa, and that includes Nigeria and most African countries, ETIAS does not apply to you. You'll keep applying for a Schengen visa as before.
EU citizens don't need ETIAS, and neither do non-EU nationals who hold a residence permit or long-stay visa from one of the countries in the scheme.
What ETIAS Will Cost
The fee is €20. It was originally set at €7, but the EU raised it in 2025 to cover the system's running costs. Travelers under 18 or over 70 won't have to pay, although they still need an approved ETIAS. One payment covers the full three years, however many trips you make.
How Applying Will Work
Use only the official website or app. Applications will be made through the EU's Travel Europe website and the official ETIAS mobile app. Plenty of look-alike sites already exist that charge extra "service fees" or collect passport details. None of them are official, and you don't need a middleman.
Fill in the form. You'll enter your passport details, contact information, education and job, the first country you plan to visit, and answers to security questions, for example about criminal convictions, past refusals of entry and travel to conflict zones. It should take around 10 to 20 minutes.
Pay the €20 fee by card, unless you're exempt because of your age.
Wait for a decision. The EU expects most applications to be approved within minutes. Some will be checked by hand, which can take up to four days. If you're asked for more documents or an interview, it can take up to 30 days. Apply well before you book anything non-refundable.
Travel with the same passport. Your ETIAS is stored electronically against your passport, so there's nothing to print. If you renew your passport, you'll need a new ETIAS. Keep the confirmation email in case you need your application number.
Countries Covered by ETIAS
ETIAS will apply to 30 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Ireland is not part of ETIAS and keeps its own entry rules. Neither is the UK, which runs its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for visa-free visitors. If your trip includes London and Paris, you may need both.
Where Things Stand in 2026
ETIAS was first meant to start in 2021 and has been pushed back several times. It depends on another system, the Entry/Exit System (EES), which began in October 2025 and replaces passport stamps with digital records of fingerprints and a facial image at Schengen borders. With EES now in place, ETIAS is the next step, but the EU has not yet confirmed a new launch date.
The EU has said it will announce the start date several months in advance. When ETIAS does launch, there will be a transition period of about six months during which travelers without it can still enter, followed by a grace period for first-time visitors. After that, airlines will check for a valid ETIAS before you board.
So what should you do now? If you're traveling to Europe in the coming months, you don't need ETIAS yet and can't get one anyway. Make sure your passport meets the normal entry rules, expect to register your fingerprints and photo under EES on your first trip, and check the official Travel Europe website before you book later trips.
Status: not yet launched, and no applications accepted as of September 2026. Expected start: likely 2027, to be announced by the EU. Fee: €20, free for under-18s and over-70s. Valid for: 3 years or until your passport expires. Who needs it: visa-exempt visitors to Europe. Who doesn't: EU citizens, residents, and anyone who already needs a Schengen visa, including Nigerians. Stay limit: unchanged at 90 days in any 180.
