⚠️ The European Union is preparing for the launch of two new border management initiatives that will affect travel to Europe: the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and the Entry/Exit Systems (EES).

The EES will register visa-free and visa-required travellers entering Europe for a short stay. No action will be required from travellers before they start their trip, as registration will be done at the external border of any of the 29 European countries using the system. The countries in question are the 29 Schengen countries. Registration on the EES will be done every time travellers cross external borders and will replace the manual stamping of passports.

* For the purpose of the EES, ‘non-EU national’ means a traveller not holding the nationality of any European Union country or the nationality of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

* ‘Short stay’ means up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This period is calculated as a single period for all the European countries using the EES.

ETIAS is a new entry requirement for travellers who do not need a visa to enter 30 European countries for a short stay. These include the 29 countries belonging to the Schengen Area as well as Cyprus. With ETIAS, visa-free travellers will need to apply for a travel authorisation before starting their trip. ETIAS is not a visa, and its introduction does not modify the visa-free status of travellers.

ETIAS and the EES will not be launched at the same time. The EES will become operational first and ETIAS will follow a few months after.

⚠️ ETIAS will start operations in the last quarter of 2026.

No action is required from travellers at this point.

The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch.

⚠️ The Entry/Exit System is currently not in operation.

It is expected to start in October 2025.

The European Union will inform about the specific start date of the EES several months prior to its launch.

Photos