EU’s ETIAS gets delayed again

Canadians heading to Europe this year have one less thing to worry about: the European Union's new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which has been delayed once again. 

The ETIAS– which approves entry for short-term stays into the European Union (EU) for visa-exempt nationals – has been postponed to the end of 2026, according to the official website.

“No action is required from travellers at this point,” reads a statement. “The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch.”

Earlier this month, the EU said it would launch the ETIAS six months after the gradual rollout of its Entry/Exit digital border management system (EES), which collects biometric data of travellers beginning in late 2025.

"Because the EES regulation requires all member states to start using the EES fully and simultaneously, a new regulation was necessary to make a progressive start possible," the Council of the European Union said.

Both EES and ETIAS are part of the EU’s efforts to improve border security. First proposed in 2016, the ETIAS was supposed to take effect in 2022 but was continually delayed.

The EU now plans to introduce the ETIAS in the last quarter of 2026, which includes a transitional grace period  – meaning, it won’t be mandatory until 2027, reports EuroNews.com.

ETIAS will be for travellers who do not need a visa to enter 30 European countries for a short stay. Travellers from 60 non-EU countries (including Canada) will need to comply.

With ETIAS, visa-free travellers will need to complete an online application, provide personal details, answer security questions and pay a €7 fee (almost $11 CAD).

It's free, however, for applicants who are younger than 18 or older than 70.

ETIAS is not a visa (it’s an electronic visa waiver), nor does it modify the visa-free status of travellers. It lasts for three years and is linked to your passport (so if you get a new passport, you need a new ETIAS).

No biometric data, such as fingerprints, is collected with ETIAS.

Whereas the EES will collect travellers’ facial image and fingerprints. It will also collect travel document data as well as the date and place where the traveller entered and exited the territory of European countries using the system.

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