When does ETIAS start?
Launch is confirmed for the last quarter of 2026. It becomes mandatory around April 2027, and strictly enforced from around October 2027.
The three dates that matter
- Q4 2026 — portal opens. You can apply, but don't yet need an ETIAS to board. Airlines may start asking early.
- ~April 2027 — mandatory. The six-month transition ends; most visa-exempt travellers now need an approved ETIAS.
- ~October 2027 — strictly enforced. Grace period over. No ETIAS, no boarding, for everyone it applies to.
Why the confidence after years of delays? The Entry/Exit System (EES) — the biometric border infrastructure ETIAS depends on, and the historical cause of every postponement — became fully operational in April 2026. The blocker is gone.
Verify every line at the source → travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. If anything here ever contradicts the Commission, the Commission is right.
Between now and launch
There is nothing to apply for and nothing to pay. Check your passport has three months' validity beyond your planned departure from Europe — that's a published ETIAS rule and the single most useful preparation.
Get told the day the portal opens
One email when ETIAS goes live. One when it becomes mandatory. Nothing else — no drip campaign.
Join the free waitlist