Visa-exempt travellers will not need an ETIAS permit yet.
Dubai: Travellers heading to Europe will not need to apply for the European Union’s new ETIAS travel authorisation for now, after the bloc dropped its previously announced late-2026 launch timeline and stopped specifying a new start date for the system.
The official ETIAS website currently states that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System is “not yet in operation” and that applications are not being accepted. The EU has said travellers will be notified of the exact launch date several months before the system becomes operational.
The change is significant for visa-exempt travellers planning trips to Europe, as the EU had previously indicated that ETIAS would become operational in the final quarter of 2026.
No ETIAS application required yet
For now, travellers do not need to obtain an ETIAS authorisation before visiting Europe, and no application process is currently open to the public.
Once it becomes operational, ETIAS will apply to visa-exempt travellers visiting 30 European countries for short stays. Eligible travellers will need to obtain the electronic travel authorisation before starting their journey.
Once approved, an ETIAS authorisation will be electronically linked to the traveller’s passport and will generally remain valid for three years, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
Travellers will still be subject to the existing short-stay rule, allowing visits of up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the participating European countries.
Another change to the ETIAS timeline
ETIAS has undergone several changes to its planned launch since it was initially scheduled to become operational in 2021.
The latest update does not set a new launch date. The EU’s current guidance states only that the exact implementation date will be announced several months in advance.
Until the official system goes live, travellers should avoid attempting to apply for ETIAS through unofficial websites or third-party platforms.
ETIAS is different from Europe’s EES
ETIAS should not be confused with the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which is used to register non-EU nationals entering participating Schengen countries for short stays.
The EES became fully operational across participating Schengen countries on April 10, 2026. It records details such as passport information, facial images, fingerprints, and entry and exit data at external borders.
ETIAS, by contrast, will require eligible visa-exempt travellers to obtain an online travel authorisation before beginning their journey.
Until the EU announces a new launch date, visa-exempt travellers can continue visiting Europe without an ETIAS authorisation, provided they meet the existing entry requirements for their nationality.
