Check fee, passport validity, and travel date in 30 seconds.
Based on EU Commission rules · Data from 2026-06 · v2026.06.12+1
ETIAS costs €20 per applicant once it launches in the last quarter of 2026. Travellers under 18 or over 70 pay nothing but still must apply. Your passport must be issued within the last 10 years and stay valid for at least 3 months past the day you leave the Schengen area. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is a separate biometric scheme that has been rolling out since 12 October 2025.
| ETIAS fee | €20 (was €7 until July 2025) |
|---|---|
| Fee exemptions | Under 18 and over 70 — apply free |
| Validity | 3 years or until passport expires |
| Passport rules | Issued ≤10 years ago + valid ≥3 months after you leave |
| EES (separate scheme) | Operational since 12 Oct 2025; fully live 10 Apr 2026 |
Official sources: European Commission — ETIAS €20 fee (17 Jul 2025)EU Travel — who should apply for ETIASEuropean Commission — EES fully operational 10 Apr 2026
Last updated: 12 Jun 2026Data verified 12 Jun 2026 against the European Commission ETIAS pages (ec.europa.eu)
If you hold a visa-exempt non-EU passport (US, UK, Canada, Australia and ~60 other nationalities) and you're entering one of the 30 Schengen-area countries for a stay of up to 90 days, you'll need ETIAS once it launches in Q4 2026. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens have free movement and don't need ETIAS. Ireland is not in Schengen, and the UK uses its own ETA scheme.
ETIAS costs €20 (raised from €7 in July 2025). Applicants under 18 or above 70 are exempt from the fee but still must apply. The authorisation is valid for three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
The official timeline points to the last quarter of 2026, followed by a transitional period of at least six months and then a grace period — during both you can still travel if you forgot to apply. Strict, refuse-at-the-border enforcement only begins after the grace period. The dates shown in this tool are a forecast and labelled as such; always check the EU Travel site before booking.
Applicants under 18 or over 70 at the time of application pay no fee, but they still need a valid ETIAS authorisation. Family members of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who exercise free-movement rights are also fee-exempt. Everyone aged 18 to 70 pays the flat €20.
Two prongs: your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years AND remain valid for at least 3 months (90 days) past your planned departure from the EU. The calculator flags 'MARGINAL' if you're within 30 days of failing either rule, so you can renew before booking.
No. The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a biometric border-registration system that records your fingerprints and facial image when you cross an external Schengen border; it has been rolling out since 12 October 2025 and becomes fully operational on 10 April 2026. ETIAS is a separate, paid pre-travel authorisation that launches later in 2026. Most visa-exempt travellers will eventually need both.
No. Despite occasional headlines, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and several other nationalities are NOT on the EU visa-exempt list — you need a full Schengen visa (around €90, applied for at a consulate), not ETIAS. ETIAS only applies to passports listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806. Always confirm your specific nationality before you travel.
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