EU ETIAS explained: current status, the real €20 fee, and the fake sites charging you more
ETIAS is not in operation yet
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will require visa-exempt travellers — including UK, US, Canadian and Australian passport holders — to obtain an online travel authorisation before entering 30 European countries.
As of August 2026 ETIAS is not in operation. No applications are being accepted. The launch, previously pencilled in for the final quarter of 2026, has slipped again following problems with the rollout of the biometric Entry/Exit System (EES), and reporting now points to 2027 with no confirmed date. The European Commission has said it will announce the start date several months in advance.
What that means today: if a website offers to process your ETIAS right now, it cannot deliver an authorisation. There is nothing to issue.
The facts worth knowing
- Fee: €20 per application (the widely reported figure agreed for the scheme). Applicants under 18 and over 70 are exempt.
- Validity: up to three years, or until your passport expires.
- Coverage: 30 European countries — the Schengen states plus Cyprus.
- What it is not: ETIAS is not a visa and it does not change the Schengen 90/180 rule. You still get a maximum of 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.
- Only one official source: the European Union's own ETIAS site at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias.
How the fake ETIAS sites work
Copycat "ETIAS application" sites have existed for years, and the EU has repeatedly warned about them. The pattern is consistent:
- Search-ad domains that look official — etias-eu, etias-visa, europe-etias and similar variations, often with EU-blue branding and a flag motif.
- Inflated pricing. They charge £40–£100+ as a "service" or "processing" fee on top of the €20, or take payment for an application that cannot even be submitted.
- Fake urgency. "Apply before the deadline", "mandatory from next month", countdown timers.
- Data harvesting. Passport number, date of birth, address and card details handed to an unregulated third party — valuable for identity fraud whether or not ETIAS ever launches.
- Auto-renewing subscriptions buried in the terms.
Red flags checklist
- The domain is not on europa.eu. The official EU site ends in
europa.eu— anything else is not the EU. - It asks for more than €20, or adds a service fee.
- It claims applications are open right now.
- It contacts you by email, WhatsApp or social ad with an application link.
- It promises "guaranteed approval", "priority processing" or "24-hour ETIAS".
- No company registration, VAT number or physical address anywhere on the site.
If you have already paid one: contact your bank or card provider and request a chargeback, cancel any recurring payment, and monitor for identity-fraud attempts. Report the site to your national consumer protection body — in the UK, Action Fraud.
ETIAS vs EES vs the 90/180 rule
These three are constantly confused, and the confusion is exactly what scam sites monetise.
| What it is | Your action | |
|---|---|---|
| ETIAS | Pre-travel online authorisation, €20, valid up to 3 years | Not yet — nothing to apply for |
| EES | Biometric border system: fingerprints and facial image taken at the border | Nothing in advance; allow extra time at passport control |
| 90/180 rule | Maximum 90 days in any rolling 180-day period in the Schengen Area | Track your days yourself |
EES is already causing long queues at European airports and ferry ports this summer. It requires no application and no fee — anyone charging you to "register for EES" is running the same scam with a different acronym.
What to do before ETIAS launches
- Check your passport. It must be valid for at least three months beyond your intended departure from the Schengen Area and issued within the last 10 years. Use our free passport validity checker.
- Count your Schengen days. ETIAS will not give you more time. Log your trips in the free Schengen 90/180 calculator and see the exact date you must leave.
- Bookmark the official site only. When ETIAS opens, apply at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias and nowhere else.
- Ignore any "apply now" prompt until the European Commission announces the live date.
Longer queues mean longer days in transit
The practical side effect of EES — and eventually ETIAS — is more time standing in border halls, more time in dry cabin air, and more time between drinks. Extended transit days are when travellers lose the most fluid and electrolytes without noticing.
TRAVELYTES™ FLIGHT is a single-stick electrolyte formula built for exactly that: air travel, airport queues and long transfer days. Drop one in 500ml of water before boarding and another on arrival.
Further reading: flight hydration guide, travel hydration hub, Schengen 90/180 rule for UK passport holders, and the Schengen calculator for Americans.
Entry requirements change. Always confirm current rules with the official EU ETIAS website and your national foreign-office travel advice before you book.
Further reading from Simon Calder (The Independent)
Coming soon: TRAVELYTES™ HOLIDAY (One Too Many) — hot-climate and morning-after hydration in one travel formula. Sign up to be notified when it launches →