Travel topic · Transport
ETIAS for Europe: start date, cost and who must apply
If you hold a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or NZ passport, check whether ETIAS is live; if so, apply online, pay about €20 (2026 estimate, check), and travel on the approval for up to three years.
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Applies to
The EU's travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors: who needs it, what it costs, how long it lasts, and what to do if you hold a US, UK, Canadian, Australian, NZ or Irish passport.
Key facts
- What it is
- An online travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors to the Schengen area, not a visa
- Who needs it
- Passport holders from visa-exempt countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ and Ireland
- Who does not
- EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, residents with an EU residence card, and travellers who already hold a Schengen visa
- Costcheck
- About €20 per adult; free for under-18s and over-70s (2026 estimate)
- Validity
- Three years, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first
- How long it takescheck
- Usually minutes; allow up to 96 hours, and longer if extra checks are requested
- Where to apply
- Only the official EU site or app — no agency needed
- Start datecheck
- Expected late 2026, with a grace period; check the official site before you book
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Who it applies to
ETIAS applies by passport, not by where you live. A US citizen living in Berlin still needs ETIAS for a Schengen trip unless they hold an EU residence permit. A Canadian with an Irish passport uses the Irish passport and is exempt as an EU citizen.
Nationals of the Schengen countries and of Ireland, plus citizens of EU/EEA states and Switzerland, do not need ETIAS. Travellers who already hold a Schengen visa, or a residence permit or residence card issued by a Schengen state, do not need ETIAS for that stay either.
Children and infants need their own ETIAS linked to their own passport. There is no family application; each traveller submits separately, though one adult can complete the form on a child's behalf.
| Traveller | ETIAS needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| US, UK, Canadian, Australian, NZ passport holder | Yes | Apply online before travel |
| Irish passport holder | No | EU citizen, free movement rights |
| EU/EEA or Swiss citizen | No | Free movement rights |
| Schengen residence permit or card holder | No | Carry the card with the passport |
| Schengen visa holder | No | The visa covers the trip |
| Dual national travelling on an EU passport | No | Use the EU passport at the border |
| Child or infant | Yes | Own passport, own ETIAS |
How to apply, step by step
Apply only through the official EU ETIAS site or app once the scheme is live. No agency, agent or third-party site is needed, and paying anyone else adds cost without adding a faster decision.
Have your passport, a card for the fee and your travel dates to hand. The form asks for your identity, passport details, contact details and answers to security and health questions. Fill it in exactly as your passport reads; a mismatched name or number is the most common reason an approval is delayed.
Submit, pay the fee if you are in the paying age group, and keep the approval reference with your travel documents. The approval is tied to the passport you applied with, so if you renew your passport before the trip, apply again.
Do
- Apply at least a week before departure, even though most decisions come back in minutes.
- Save a screenshot of the approval and the reference number offline, in case you have no data at the airport.
Watch out
- An approved ETIAS is not a guarantee of entry; the border officer still decides.
Show 6 sectionsHideCost and time, How ETIAS compares with other travel authorisations, Exceptions and edge cases, What to confirm before you book, Questions people ask, Related
Cost and time
The planned fee is about €20 per adult, with under-18s and over-70s exempt (2026 estimate — check the official site before you pay). The fee is charged once per application, not per trip, because the approval covers multiple entries over its validity.
Most applications are decided within minutes. Allow up to 96 hours in case your application is pulled for manual checks, and longer if you are asked for extra documents. Apply before you book non-refundable flights if the trip depends on it.
The approval lasts three years, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. There is no need to reapply for each Schengen trip inside that window.
| Item | Figure | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Fee, adult | About €20 | 2026 estimate — check |
| Fee, under-18 and over-70 | Free | 2026 estimate — check |
| Typical decision time | Minutes | Allow up to 96 hours |
| Validity | 3 years or passport expiry | Check |
Figures are the plan as published; confirm on the official EU site before paying.
How ETIAS compares with other travel authorisations
ETIAS follows the same model as the US ESTA, the UK ETA, the Canadian eTA, the Australian ETA and the New Zealand NZeTA. All are online pre-screening for visa-exempt travellers. None is a visa, and none guarantees entry.
Fees and validity differ. ETIAS is planned at about €20 for three years (check); the US ESTA is US$21 for two years (check); the UK ETA is £16 for two years (check); the Canadian eTA is CAD 7 for up to five years (check); the Australian ETA is AUD 20 for twelve months (check); the NZeTA is NZD 17 plus the International Visitor Levy (check). Confirm current figures before you pay.
| Scheme | Region | Typical fee | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETIAS | Schengen area | About €20 (2026 estimate, check) | 3 years or passport expiry (check) |
| ESTA | United States | US$21 (check) | 2 years (check) |
| UK ETA | United Kingdom | £16 (check) | 2 years (check) |
| Canada eTA | Canada | CAD 7 (check) | Up to 5 years (check) |
| Australia ETA | Australia | AUD 20 (check) | 12 months (check) |
| NZeTA | New Zealand | NZD 17 plus IVL (check) | 2 years (check) |
SeeESTA for the US UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Canada eTA Australia Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) New Zealand NZeTA and the International Visitor Levy
Exceptions and edge cases
Residents, not citizens: a US green-card holder travelling on a passport from a visa-required country still needs a Schengen visa, not ETIAS. A Schengen residence card holder travelling with their passport does not need ETIAS for that stay.
Dual nationals should travel on the passport that makes the trip simplest. An EU passport avoids ETIAS entirely; a US passport needs it. The passport you check in with is the one the airline will check for authorisation.
Long stays, work, study and family reunification are outside ETIAS. Those trips need the relevant national visa from the country you are staying in — for Germany, the German mission in your country decides. Confirm with that mission, not with an agent.
Watch out
- Do not book non-refundable travel on the assumption that ETIAS is already live; the start date has moved before.
What to confirm before you book
This page is a dated draft and has not been field-verified. The start date, fee and grace-period rules are the facts most likely to change, so confirm them on the official EU ETIAS site and on your own government's travel advice before paying for flights.
The authority that decides entry is the border service of the Schengen country you arrive in, and the airline checks authorisation at check-in. For Germany that is the Bundespolizei at the border; the German mission in your country handles visas. Use those official channels, not resellers.
Carry the passport you applied with, plus a copy of the approval. If your passport is renewed, or your details change, reapply.
Do
- Check your passport expiry first: many Schengen trips need validity beyond the return date, so confirm the rule with the mission before applying.
Questions people ask
ETIAS for Europe: what is the short answer?
ETIAS is an online travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors to the Schengen area. It is not a visa. Apply once on the official EU site, pay about €20 (2026 estimate), and the approval lasts up to three years or until your passport expires.
Who does it apply to?
Passport holders from visa-exempt countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, Schengen residence permit holders and travellers who already hold a Schengen visa do not need it.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
About €20 per adult, free for under-18s and over-70s (2026 estimate). Most applications are approved in minutes, but allow up to 96 hours in case of manual checks. Apply at least a week before departure.
When does ETIAS start?
The plan is late 2026 with a transition period, but the date has moved before. Check the official EU site before booking travel that depends on it.
Do children need ETIAS?
Yes. Every traveller, including infants, needs an ETIAS linked to their own passport. An adult can complete the form on a child's behalf.
Does ETIAS replace a Schengen visa?
No. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers. If you need a Schengen visa, you still apply for the visa and do not need ETIAS.
What happens if I travel without ETIAS?
Once the scheme is live, airlines and border officers will check for it. Travelling without a valid ETIAS can mean denied boarding or refusal of entry.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check and were last checked Sep 2026
Show the detailsHide
Sources
- officialEuropean Commission – ETIAS
- officialUS State Department – Travel Advisories
- officialUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office – Travel Advice
- officialGovernment of Canada – Travel Advice and Advisories
- officialSmartraveller (Australia)
- officialSafeTravel (New Zealand)
- officialDepartment of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
- secondaryWikivoyage – European Union
Ask about ETIAS for Europe: start date, cost and who must apply
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