European Travel Information and Authorisation System

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a planned electronic authorisation system of the European Union for visa-exempt visitors travelling to the Schengen Area, as well as Cyprus. Authorisations will be valid for three years or until the expiry date of the passport, whichever comes first. It is scheduled to come into force in 2027, a year after the implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES). The application fee will be €20 for travellers between ages 18 and 70.

ETIAS is designed to pre-screen visa-exempt visitors to identify potential security threats, risks of irregular migration, or high epidemic risks prior to their arrival at the border. The European Commission emphasises that the authorisation is not a visa, as it requires a significantly simplified application process and does not require embassy visitation. Consequently, possessing a valid ETIAS approval functions as a pre-travel requirement, but does not guarantee automatic entry into the Schengen Area, with final admission authority remaining with national border control officers.

Once operational, the system is estimated to affect approximately 1.4 billion people from visa-exempt countries and territories who will be required to secure a travel authorisation before entering the Schengen Area. ETIAS is similar to other electronic travel authorisation systems, such as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in the United States, Electronic Travel Authorisation (UK-ETA) in the United Kingdom, and the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) in South Korea.