Official source Checked 10 September 2026 EU or national government source. Source

Where the application will be made

On the EU's own ETIAS website and in the EU's own ETIAS mobile application. Those will be the only two routes. There will be no authorised agents, no expedited channel, and no partner sites, because the process is an automated database check rather than a case that benefits from representation.

An application may be submitted by another person on the traveller's behalf, and applications for minors must be. That is a person acting for you, not a commercial intermediary with special access.

What you will need

  • A valid travel document to which a visa may be affixed. It should not expire in less than three months and should not be older than ten years.
  • A payment card, unless a fee exemption applies to you.
  • Personal details: names, date and place of birth, nationality, home address, your parents' first names, email address and phone number.
  • Details of your education and current occupation.
  • Details of your intended travel and stay.
  • Answers about criminal convictions, past travel to war or conflict zones, and whether you have recently been required to leave any country.

Applicants who declare family member status in relation to an EU national will also give that person's details and an explanation of the family tie.

What it will cost

EUR 20 per application. Applicants under 18 years or above 70 years of age at the time of the application. There is a further exemption for Family members of an EU national who meet the conditions to qualify for family member status. Full detail is on the fee page.

Regulation Checked 10 September 2026 EU law text. Source

How long a decision will take

The EU states that most applications will be processed within minutes. Where an application takes longer, a decision will follow within four days. That period may extend by up to a further 14 days if you are asked for more information or documents, or up to 30 days if you are invited to an interview.

Those are the outer limits of a process, not a service promise, which is why the EU advises applying well before travel rather than the night before.

Not all travel documents will be accepted

Specific requirements apply to documents issued by certain countries, special administrative regions and territorial authorities. For several, only a biometric passport will support an application and any other document type will mean a visa instead. If you hold a document of that kind, check the requirement that attaches to it rather than assuming your nationality settles it.

After a decision

You will get an email confirming submission, containing an application number worth keeping, and a second email with the outcome. Check the details on an approved authorisation carefully: if the name or passport number is wrong, it will not work at the border.

A refusal email will give the reasons, the authority that decided, how to appeal and the deadline for doing so. Appeals go to the country that took the decision.

What an authorisation will and will not do

It will permit travel for short stays of 90 days in any 180 day period, for multiple entries, for Three years, or until the travel document used in the application expires, whichever comes first. It will not guarantee entry: border guards will still verify the entry conditions on arrival and can still refuse. It will not permit work or long-term residence, and it will not extend the short-stay allowance.

Common questions

Can I prepare or pre-register now?

There is nothing to prepare into. No system is accepting applications, so no site can be holding a place in a queue that does not exist. Anything offering that today is selling something else. See avoiding ETIAS scams.

When will applications open?

No date has been published. The launch status tracker holds everything on the record about timing, including what has been reported rather than announced.

Will I need one immediately when it starts?

Not immediately. A transitional period will follow the start of operations, during which holding an authorisation will be optional, and a grace period will follow that. Both are described on the tracker.

What if my passport expires during the validity period?

The authorisation ends with the passport. A new passport will require a new application, because the authorisation is linked to the document.

Last verified 10 September 2026. How we verify