ETIAS: the European travel authorisation, and why you cannot buy it yet
Independent site, not a government service: you apply only on the official EU site, travel-europe.europa.eu, once ETIAS opens.
Enter your group: the calculator gives the ETIAS fee once it opens. Until a start date is published, no one can sell you an ETIAS.
ETIAS fee for the group, once it opens
€40.00
3 applications, 1 free
Not yet in operation: no start date had been published on October 24, 2026. Nobody can sell you an ETIAS today.
ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is the European Union’s version of the ESTA and the UK ETA: an online authorisation that visa-exempt visitors, such as Americans, Britons, Canadians and Australians, will need before travelling to the countries of the Schengen area and Cyprus. It was created by Regulation (EU) 2018/1240. The European Commission announced on 17 July 2025 that the fee will be €20, with no fee for applicants under 18 or over 70, and the regulation sets the validity at 3 years or until the passport expires. ETIAS is not yet in operation: on October 24, 2026, no start date had been published, so there is nothing to apply for today and any site that takes payment for an ETIAS is not selling a real authorisation. Citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland will never need one, nor will foreign residents holding a residence permit from a member state. The calculator above shows what a group will pay once it opens.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
What ETIAS will be
Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 creates a pre-travel check for nationals of countries whose citizens do not need a Schengen visa. The traveller fills in an online form with passport details and answers on security, health and previous refusals, pays the fee and receives an authorisation linked to the passport. It will be checked by airlines, ferry and coach operators before boarding, and at the border.
What it will cost
The Commission’s announcement of 17 July 2025 sets the fee at €20. Applicants under 18 and over 70 pay nothing, but still need an authorisation. A couple of American retirees over 70 will pay nothing; a family of four with two children under 18 will pay €40.
Validity
An ETIAS will be valid for 3 years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner, for any number of short stays within the usual limit of 90 days in any 180-day period. As with the UK ETA and the ESTA, a new passport will mean a new application.
Compared with the UK ETA
Europeans meet the mirror image of ETIAS when they cross the Channel: the UK ETA, which costs £20 per person and is already compulsory. Enter your group below to compare.
Price for your group
United Kingdom, 4 people
£80
≈ €95.55 · UK ETA
| Official fee, per person | £20 |
| People (children pay the same) | 4 |
| Total | £80 |
Price history: £16 until April 7, 2026, £20 since April 8, 2026.
Apply only at gov.uk/eta
Who will not need it
Citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, foreign nationals holding a residence permit or long-stay visa from a member state, and travellers who need a Schengen visa (they apply for the visa instead). The official EU travel site will be the only place to apply once the system opens.