Whenever the ETIAS is finally set to launch, Europe-selling travel retailers and suppliers – and travellers themselves – might not believe it will actually happen, and who could blame them?

Officially the European Travel Information & Authorization System, the ETIAS has been delayed so many times that the latest setback barely registers. Travelweek first reported on the ETIAS in 2019, two years before it was set to start in 2021. That target came and went, the first of many delays over the years.

The ETIAS won’t launch until at least six months after the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is up and running. The EES will add another layer of security – and scanners – for non-EU travellers entering what’s known as the Schengen Area (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland).

Meanwhile the ETIAS will require qualifying travellers from some 60 visa-exempt countries, including Canada, to apply for an entry permit in advance of their trip, and pay 7 EUR. It will be valid for 3 years.

Think of EES as the back-end, and the ETIAS is the front-end. Until the EES launches, the ETIAS is in a holding pattern.

After multiple yes-it-will-no-it-won’t false starts over the years, the most recent update, issued this past summer, pegged the EES launch for November 10, 2024, and the ETIAS launch for six or so months later. The Nov. 10 date came and went, as noted by consumer media including Global News. According to ETIAS.com, EU member states “expressed unpreparedness for the [Nov. 10 EES] launch date.”

While the back-and-forth could be causing some confusion in the marketplace for Europe-bound travellers, the delay of a travel permit requirement, not to mention the fee, is ultimately good news for any traveller, and the industry.

Meanwhile the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement took effect on January 8, 2025. The ETA costs £10 and allows multiple visits to the UK for up to six months at a time. It will be valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. Everyone, including babies and children, will need an ETA and travellers can apply on behalf of others. VisitBritain’s Director, Canada, Cathy Stapells tells Travelweek that the ETA is rolling out as planned.