News

The Council's 2018 adoption of the ETIAS regulation created the legal basis for the EU's planned pre-travel screening system. It clarified who would need an authorisation, how applications would be checked and why approval would still not guarantee entry.

When ETIAS starts, airlines and sea carriers will need to confirm that visa-exempt passengers hold a valid authorisation before departure. Coach operators have a longer transition, but travellers across all modes can still face boarding refusals or border checks if ETIAS is missing.

When ETIAS launches, you will not need to submit the application yourself. A trusted person or travel agent can do it on your behalf — but there are important safeguards to follow.

Misinformation about ETIAS is widespread. From which countries require it to how long it is valid, many common claims are simply wrong. Here are seven myths — and the facts behind them.

Days before the EES launch, tests at Eurotunnel kiosks showed roughly two minutes of screen time per person. Getlink invested EUR 80 million in the infrastructure while Eurostar fitted 49 kiosks at St Pancras.

The EU is introducing EES in phases, and that gradual start is meant to reduce disruption. Even so, airports and UK-Channel routes still face queue risks during peak holiday travel.

When the EU Entry/Exit System takes effect, British passport holders will for the first time need to provide biometric data at European borders. This article, written in late 2023, previews what the new checks will require and what the processing challenges could look like at key UK departure points.

In February 2024, IATA described EES and ETIAS as a major operational change for airlines, not just a policy update for travellers. The industry body focused on system scope, manual checks and transition periods that could complicate boarding decisions.

The EU's Entry/Exit System was pushed back once more in July 2024, shifting its expected October launch to at least November. The delay, driven partly by French concerns over capacity, continued a years-long pattern of postponements for the biometric border programme.

The EU's Entry/Exit System started a phased rollout on 12 October 2025, introducing biometric checks at Schengen borders for non-EU nationals. Full implementation is expected by April 2026.