Starting Q4 2026, visa-exempt travelers — Americans, Britons, Canadians and sixty other nationalities — will need an ETIAS authorization before they board a flight to the Schengen Area. €20, ten minutes online, and a handful of questions. This guide has everything else.
ETIAS is the European Travel Information and Authorization System — a pre-travel authorization, not a visa. If you currently enter Europe visa-free, you'll need an approved ETIAS tied to your passport before boarding. If you already need a Schengen visa, nothing changes.
It costs €20 (waived under 18 and over 70), lasts up to three years, permits unlimited entries, and doesn't extend the underlying 90-days-in-any-180 stay limit. The system launches in Q4 2026 and depends on the Entry/Exit System, which completes deployment April 10, 2026.
Four deep guides covering who qualifies, how to apply, how ETIAS differs from a visa, and the questions people actually ask.
The sixty-plus visa-exempt nationalities, the under-18 / over-70 fee waiver, residence-permit carve-outs, and the surprising edge cases.
Read the requirements → Pillar · 02Ten minutes, €20, and a short form. What each question means, what triggers manual review, and what to do if something goes wrong.
See the application walkthrough → Pillar · 03A side-by-side comparison — cost, timing, paperwork, validity. Two documents that aren't interchangeable.
Compare the two → Pillar · 04Dual nationals, infants, transit, refusals, appeals, overstays, biometrics. The running reference.
Browse the FAQs → By Nationality · USThe specific rules for Americans — fee, passport requirements, consular info, and the usual US pitfalls. Template for UK / Canada / more.
Start with United States →ETIAS doesn't change how long you can stay in Europe. That's still ninety days in any rolling 180-day window. Here's what that actually means.
Rolling means rolling. On any given day, look back 180 days. Count every day you were physically inside Schengen. If the total is above 90, you're overstaying. If it's exactly 90, tomorrow either you leave or an old day drops out of the window.
All three tools are client-side only. Your trip data never leaves your browser; it's encoded into the URL so you can bookmark or share.
Enter every Schengen trip — past and planned. See days used in any rolling 180-day window and get an overstay warning before you book.
Four questions — nationality, purpose, duration, existing permits. One definitive answer: ETIAS, Schengen visa, or nothing needed.
Multi-country itinerary tool. Auto-classifies each leg Schengen or not, totals your 90-day clock, and flags the risky ones.
ETIAS depends on the Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaces passport stamps with biometric records. It's been rescheduled five times. Here's the current plan.
Phased deployment starts at a subset of Schengen borders.
Every Schengen external border on the biometric system.
Traveler applications accepted ahead of enforcement.
Travel without an approved ETIAS starts being refused.
Transitional leniency for first-time errors expires.
ETIAS applies to the 29 Schengen countries. Ireland, Cyprus, and most of the Balkans are outside it. Britain has its own ETA.
Shortened answers below. The full reference — dual nationals, minors, transit, refusals — is on the FAQ page.
No. It's a pre-travel authorization for visa-exempt nationals — closer to the US ESTA than a Schengen visa. Visa-required nationalities aren't affected.
Q4 2026 is the current expectation. No firm date has been published. Launch depends on the Entry/Exit System finishing deployment on April 10, 2026.
€20 per application. Free for travelers under 18 or over 70, and for family members of EU citizens.
Up to three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Multiple entries permitted within that span.
No. The 90-days-in-any-180 Schengen stay rule is separate and unchanged. ETIAS only controls whether you can board.
Yes. One ETIAS, multiple entries over three years, as long as each stay stays within the 90/180 window.
Yes — the Commission has signalled a transitional period after launch, during which travelers without ETIAS won't be immediately refused. Don't rely on it.
No. Ireland is outside Schengen; Britain has its own Electronic Travel Authorization (UK ETA). ETIAS applies only to Schengen entries.
Yes. The authorization is linked to your specific passport number. Reapply once your new passport is in hand.
Yes, with your authorization and accurate data. Most reseller sites add a markup without adding value.
Three paths in. Pick the one that matches your situation.