ETIAS 2026: Europe's Travel Authorisation — Who Needs It, Price and How to Apply

For several years the European Union has been preparing ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System), an electronic travel authorisation for travellers who are exempt from the Schengen visa. Often compared to the American ESTA, the scheme generates a great deal of ink — and even more confusion. Should you already apply? How much does it cost? Are African travellers concerned?

Let's be clear from the outset: as of summer 2026, ETIAS is not yet in force. The launch, long announced for the last quarter of 2026, no longer appears on the EU's official website, and eu-LISA, the European agency in charge of the system, has acknowledged that this deadline was no longer feasible: a postponement to 2027 is now the most likely scenario. No ETIAS authorisation can be requested today, and any website claiming otherwise is at best misleading, at worst fraudulent.

This guide covers what is known from official sources: who will be concerned (and above all who will not be), the price, the validity period, the planned procedure and the traps to avoid. One essential point for our readers in Africa: if your nationality requires a Schengen visa, ETIAS does not concern you — your path remains the classic visa application.

ETIAS is an electronic travel authorisation, not a visa. The principle is modelled on existing systems such as the US ESTA or Canada's eTA: before departure, the traveller fills in an online form, pays a fee, and receives an authorisation electronically linked to their passport. No sticker, no embassy appointment, no supporting file to build.

The scheme will cover 30 European countries: all EU member states except Ireland, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Cyprus will also apply ETIAS, even though stays there are counted separately from the Schengen area.

ETIAS is part of the modernisation of Europe's borders, alongside the EES (Entry/Exit System), the biometric entry-exit registration system launched on 12 October 2025 and fully deployed since April 2026. The EES's laborious rollout is, in fact, one of the reasons behind ETIAS's delays.

On the calendar: the EU Council was aiming for the last quarter of 2026, but that target was dropped in summer 2026. The official website now states that the start date will be announced several months in advance. Until that announcement, there is strictly nothing to do.

ETIAS will apply exclusively to nationals of around sixty visa-exempt countries and territories for short stays: the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and the United Arab Emirates, among others.

For Africa, the visa-exempt list is short: Mauritius and the Seychelles are on it, so their nationals will need an ETIAS once the system launches. By contrast, the vast majority of African travellers — Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Mali, Guinea, Benin, DRC, Nigeria, Ghana and the whole Maghreb — remain subject to the Schengen visa: ETIAS does not concern them, now or after launch.

The same logic applies to Ecuador: Ecuadorian nationals currently need a Schengen visa. ETIAS would only concern them if the EU decided on a visa exemption in the future.

The ETIAS fee has been set at €20 per application. The amount initially planned was €7, but the European Commission confirmed the increase in July 2025, citing inflation, the system's operating costs and alignment with comparable schemes (the US ESTA, the UK ETA).

Some categories are exempt from the fee, while still having to submit an application:

• travellers under 18;
• travellers over 70;
• family members of an EU citizen benefiting from free movement.

The authorisation will be valid for 3 years, or until the passport expires if that happens first. It will allow multiple entries throughout its validity. Note: ETIAS changes nothing about the 90-days-in-any-180 rule, and it does not guarantee entry — the border guard always has the final say.

1. Wait for the official launch. No application is possible today. The EU will announce the start date several months in advance on its official website.
2. Use only the official website: travel-europe.europa.eu (or the official ETIAS app, when the time comes). It is the only legitimate address for an application.
3. Fill in the online form: around ten minutes is enough. Have your passport ready, plus your contact details, your first intended country of stay, and answers to a few security questions (criminal record, stays in conflict zones, etc.).
4. Pay the €20 online (unless exempt).
5. Receive the decision: the vast majority of applications should be approved within minutes, and most of the rest within 96 hours. In rare cases (additional documents or an interview required), the process can stretch to around 30 days. Tip: apply before buying your tickets.
6. Travel: the authorisation is electronically linked to your passport. Nothing to print, but keep the confirmation e-mail handy, and travel with the passport used for the application.

Note: the European regulation provides for a transitional period of at least six months after launch, during which a traveller without ETIAS will not be refused entry if the other conditions are met, followed by a grace period. Do not rely on it: airlines may require the authorisation as soon as the system goes live.

This is THE most widespread confusion, and it has serious consequences for many of our readers.

If you are a national of Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, DRC, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria or any other country subject to the Schengen visa, you will never be asked for an ETIAS: your route remains the classic visa. See our complete Schengen visa guide for African applicants to prepare your file.

• Paying for an "ETIAS" right now. The system is not live: any current offer of "pre-registration" or "ETIAS application" should be avoided.
• Confusing ETIAS with the Schengen visa. If you need a visa, no ETIAS form will exempt you from it.
• Going through an intermediary website. Unofficial sites will charge "service fees" of €40, €60 or €80 for a form that costs €20 on the EU website.
• Believing ETIAS guarantees entry. It is a prior authorisation, not a right of entry: proof of accommodation, funds and return can still be required at the border.
• Neglecting your passport. The authorisation expires with it; a passport close to expiry shortens the validity of your ETIAS accordingly.
• Leaving it to the last minute. Once the system is live, apply as soon as your travel plans take shape, before buying tickets.

• Is ETIAS mandatory in 2026?

No. As of summer 2026 the system is not in service and no official launch date is confirmed; a 2027 start is the most frequently cited scenario. The EU will announce the date several months in advance.

• Is the fee €7 or €20?

€20. The €7 figure was the initial plan; the European Commission made the increase to €20 official in July 2025. It is free for under-18s and over-70s, who must nevertheless apply.

• I am Senegalese, Ivorian, Cameroonian or Nigerian: should I apply for ETIAS?

No. Your nationality is subject to the Schengen visa: what you need is a visa, not an ETIAS. Follow our Schengen visa guide.

• I hold a French residence permit or a long-stay visa: do I need ETIAS?

No. Holders of a residence permit or a visa issued by an EU/Schengen country are exempt from ETIAS.

• Where will I apply when the time comes?

Only on the European Union's official website, travel-europe.europa.eu, or via the official mobile app. No other site is authorised to issue ETIAS.