A NEW travel requirement for Brits has been pushed back again despite being scheduled for late 2026.
The new system called ETIAS will eventually be required for UK citizens and other non-EU nationals to enter countries within the Schengen Area.
However ETIAS, which stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System, has been delayed again.
An ABTA official has now confirmed there is “no official launch date for ETIAS” – although some people are being caught out by scam websites.
According to Travel Gossip, there are as many as 150 websites claiming to sell ETIAS.
ABTA previously warned: “People who try to apply for an ETIAS now may be at risk of fraud. There’s a risk of losing money and possibly personal data too.”
ETIAS is essentially a visa waiver that is linked to your passport and says you can visit a country.
This is different from the EES system which is currently in place that tracks you when you eventually visit that country.
Any national who is visa-exempt, including Brits, will have to get ETIAS authorisation.
ETIAS will be valid for up to three years, or until your passport expires – whichever is soonest.
To get ETIAS authorisation, you will need to visit the official ETIAS website and follow the instructions on its portal.
It will be required to pay for ETIAS too, much like with an ESTA for America.
ETIAS is expected to cost €20 (£17) per person, but travellers under 18 and over 70 do not need to pay the fee (though they still have to apply for one).
