The European Commission has provided a new update on the document everyone travelling from the UK to countries like France, Spain, Italy, and Greece will need - and which will cost £17. Etias - the European Travel Information and Authorisation System - will mean all UK citizens need to fill in an online form and pay €20 to be allowed to travel to 30 European countries.
Delays and Ongoing Preparations
The system was announced in 2021 and has been delayed multiple times. It was due to be rolled out at the end of this year, and be in place in 2027, but has now been delayed again. The European Commission has now told Which?: "Once all conditions are in place, the Commission will set a date for the start of the system."
They added: "Preparations for the launch of ETIAS are ongoing. Obviously, as with any large-scale IT system, many factors come into play when deciding when to launch it."
Link to the European Entry-Exit System
The delay follows the roll-out of the new European Entry-Exit System (EES). The EES means anyone not from the EU entering EU countries has to go through electronic gates where images of their face and fingerprints are taken. EES has seen huge delays at some borders - sometimes more than four hours - and has been postponed in some countries as a result. Etias cannot be rolled out until EES is fully active.
Until September, borders in Europe are allowed to suspend EES biometric checks in case of excessive waiting time.
Application Process and Validity
Once applications for Etias open, most will be processed within minutes. But some applications could be extended to up to 30 days if you require an interview. An EU statement adds: "ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point." Once you have an ETIAS document, it will be valid for three years or until your passport runs out.
