EU delays ETIAS electronic visa system again — new launch set for 2027

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It's already been a long summer for travelers headed to Europe, and it's only the first week of July.

In March, the EU rolled out its EES biometric entry/exit system , resulting in what can best be described as a chaos-induced headache . Lines have stretched for hours, passengers have missed flights and airports have been pushed into disarray.

Although the EU has not taken steps to address the current EES woes, there is a bit of relief for travelers with a trip to Europe on the horizon: ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System), EU's much delayed electronic "visa" program for nonresidents, will now have its launch date pushed into 2027, from fourth quarter 2026, according to the Financial Times .

This is not the first time ETIAS has been delayed. Originally scheduled to launch in spring 2023, the "e-visa" has gone through multiple year setbacks. Most recently, the European Union had said ETIAS would come online by the end of the year, but that, too, is now up in the air.

"EU-Lisa, the agency in charge of implementing Etias, has acknowledged that launching it by the end of this year as planned was no longer feasible," says the Financial Times, after the "technical glitches and slow deployment of the bloc's new electronic entry/exit system (EES)," that requires non-EU travelers to scan their fingerprints and facial images at border crossings.

JINGYING ZHAO/GETTY IMAGES What is ETIAS

ETIAS is a travel authorization that will be required for U.S. citizens who wish to visit 30 different countries across the continent, both inside and outside the EU's Schengen Area .

(It's worth noting that Cyprus and Ireland are not currently using EES, and Ireland has also not signed on for ETIAS.)

It will also now cost even more than when first proposed. After initially pricing the ETIAS fee at 7 euros (roughly $8), the European Union increased the fee to 20 euros (about $23).

Although sometimes referred to as a "visa," ETIAS is actually just an online application (and fee) and preauthorization to travel. When it becomes active, it will be much easier and much less expensive to obtain than a traditional travel visa issued by an embassy.

The United Kingdom started enforcing a similar program this past February called ETA, which has also experienced serious bumps and outages this summer. For the U.K., visitors must pay 20 British pounds (about $27) for an ETA travel authorization valid for two years or until their passport expires, whichever comes first. (You can find step-by-step instructions for applying for the U.K. version here .)

Bottom line

Fortunately, Americans planning to visit Europe don't need to worry about ETIAS right now. If reports are correct, ETIAS is now due to launch in 2027, although no specific date has been given.

When ETIAS finally is launched, be prepared to go through one more step and pay one more fee in the travel process as part of traveling to Europe. Stay tuned for further developments related to this program.

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