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.
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.
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.
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.
Five years after the UK left the EU, mobility remains possible but less frictionless. New border routines, document checks, and incoming digital authorisation systems are reshaping how people move between Britain and Europe.
Australian travellers are facing new pre-travel requirements for both the United States and Europe. The US Global Entry programme and the EU's ETIAS both require advance authorisation before crossing their respective borders.
EU Home Affairs Ministers have endorsed a revised rollout plan for two major travel systems. The Entry/Exit System will go live in October 2025, while the European Travel Information and Authorisation System will launch in late 2026, supported by transitional and grace periods.
Council examined phased implementation strategies for the EES, internal Schengen pressures, and coordinated responses to transnational security challenges.