Why Travellers Should Check the ETIAS Website Carefully

Unofficial ETIAS sites are already online

The European Union has warned that many unofficial ETIAS websites are already targeting travellers, even before the system is fully in operation. Some of these pages imitate official sources, misuse the EU logo or present misleading guidance about future travel requirements. For travellers, the main risk is confusion: a site that looks official may still contain inaccurate information.

Intermediaries may exist, but they are not official EU services

The ETIAS Regulation allows commercial intermediaries to submit applications on behalf of travellers, so not every non-official website is automatically unlawful. However, the EU does not licence or endorse these services.

Photo by Shalnee Kumari on Pexels

Applying through an intermediary can also mean paying more than the official ETIAS fee, because any extra charge goes to the company rather than to the travel authorisation system itself.

The safest choice is the official europa.eu website

Travellers should use the official ETIAS website on the europa.eu domain when they want reliable information or when the application process opens. This reduces the risk of giving personal data and payment details to a platform that may not handle them responsibly. In practice, checking the web address carefully is one of the simplest ways to avoid scams and unnecessary costs.