The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) – the EU’s visa-waiver form to enter its passport-free zone – has been postponed again and is now scheduled to launch in the last quarter of 2026.
The system’s implementation has experienced significant delays after it was first expected to be introduced in 2023. Before this latest postponement, the most recent date for implementation was the first half of 2025, as reported by Travel News.
ETIAS will apply to non-EU citizens from 60 countries around the world that have visa-free travel with the EU (this excludes South African passport holders).
British passport holders will be required to complete ETIAS forms to enter the EU once the system is up and running.
ETIAS is modelled on the pre-existing Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) scheme operating in the US.
