The European Union appears to have made a huge change to its 90-day travel rule. British holidaymakers planning to head to Spain will soon have to pay a 20 euro (approx. £17) fee for stays of up to 90 days.
The change comes as the new electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors entering 30 European countries is set to begin operations in late 2026, with mandatory enforcement expected by early 2027.
ETIAS operational status
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) previously confirmed on its website that it “will become operational in the final quarter of 2026,” but a new statement confirms that it is not yet operational, with no applications for travel authorisation being accepted.
It added: “The European Union will announce the exact start date for ETIAS several months in advance of its launch.”
Possible postponement
Under the new system, Brits travelling to Europe will have to apply for a travel authorisation before their journey to any of the 30 European countries in the scheme. However, according to Majorca Daily Bulletin, the change in communication suggests a possible postponement of the start of charges for the electronic authorisation.
UK travellers should still be aware of the new travel requirements and how to apply for their ETIAS travel authorisation. Visa-free travellers will be able to apply for their travel authorisations on the EU’s official ETIAS website europa.eu/etias when it is fully operational.
Warning on unofficial websites
Frontex has identified over 100 unofficial websites that are issuing information on EITAS to non-EU travellers, and so it is key that you can point out the difference between legitimate and non-legitimate information.
Francois Laruelle, Director of the ETIAS Central Unit Division at Frontex, said: “We are aware of several sites that claim to already accept ETIAS applications. Travellers should be very cautious about those websites, as it is not currently possible to apply for an official ETIAS travel authorisation since the system is not operational yet”
