It is expected that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be operational six months after EES.
As a general rule, you will need an ETIAS travel authorisation if you meet all the following criteria:
- you are not an EU national;
- you are a citizen of a country whose nationals are not required to have a visa for short-term stay in the European countries requiring ETIAS;
- you do not have a residence permit/card/document issued by any of the European countries requiring ETIAS
Some travellers may be exempted from the requirement to have an ETIAS travel authorisation, so please check the sections on who should apply and exemptions before filling out the application.
Please note that some visa-required travellers may also apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation – check here for more information.
No. Having the travel authorisation only allows you to enter and remain on the territory of the European countries requiring ETIAS for a short-term stay.
Also, it does not give you the right to study long-term or to work in these countries. If you plan to stay in a European country requiring ETIAS for a longer period, you will most likely need a long-term visa.
Travellers with a valid visa do not need an ETIAS travel authorisation.
If you want to come to study in a European country requiring ETIAS for more than 90 days, you will need a student visa. For shorter study programmes, you can apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation. Please contact the consulate of the country you intend to study in for further details.
No, if you wish to work in one of the European countries requiring ETIAS you will need to apply for a work visa. However, if you are travelling only to attend a business conference or a meeting, you can apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation. Please contact the consulate of the country you intend to work in for further details.
Yes. Unless you fall under one of the exceptions, you are required to have a valid ETIAS travel authorisation to enter any of the European countries requiring ETIAS. Travellers without such authorisation will be refused entry at the border.
Having a valid ETIAS travel authorisation does not automatically grant you the right to enter the territory of the European countries requiring ETIAS. All travellers arriving at the border are still subject to border checks and border guards will refuse entry to those who do not meet the entry conditions.
No. Your ETIAS travel authorisation is valid for three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You can leave and return as many times as you wish, as long as you respect the overall limit of your authorised stay.
You can apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation yourself by filling in and submitting an application, or you can authorise somebody else to do this for you, e.g. a friend, a family member or a commercial intermediary such as a travel agency. You will need to have a valid travel document and pay a EUR 7 application fee.
Check the questions below for more information on travel documents that can be used to apply for ETIAS.
We strongly advise you to obtain the ETIAS travel authorisation before you buy your tickets and book your hotels. Most applications will be processed within minutes and at the latest within 96 hours. However, some applicants may be asked to provide additional information or documentation or to participate in an interview with national authorities, which may take up to additional 30 days.
You need a travel document that is recognised by the European countries requiring ETIAS. Please check here or here to find out if your travel document is recognised by the countries you intend to travel to.
Your travel document should be valid for more than three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the European countries requiring ETIAS and should not be older than 10 years. This requirement does not apply to family members of EU citizens or those of non-EU nationals who have the right to move freely throughout the European Union.
Check here for more information about what type of passport or travel document you need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation.
We advise you not to travel with a document that will expire soon.
While it is possible to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation using a travel document which is valid for less than three months from the date you submit the application, you should be aware that you will be refused entry at the border, unless you have very good reasons to be accepted (for example humanitarian grounds).
This requirement does not apply to family members of EU citizens or those of non-EU nationals who have the right to move freely throughout the European Union.
You can apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation, but you are only allowed to enter and stay in those European countries requiring ETIAS that recognise your travel document.
Border authorities may exceptionally allow you to enter a country that does not recognise your travel document in a justified case of emergency, humanitarian grounds, national interest or because of important obligations.
If you are unsure whether your travel document entitles you to cross the orders of any of the European countries requiring ETIAS (and to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation), you can check the lists the European Commission has published here and here.
You will be asked to provide the following information:
- Personal information including your name(s), date and place of birth, sex, nationalities, home address, email address and phone number(s);
- Your parents’ first name(s);
- Travel document details;
- Your level of education and current occupation;
- The country of your first intended stay and the address of your destination;
- Details about any past criminal convictions, past travels to war or conflict zones, and whether you have recently been the subject of a return decision.
Additionally, the travellers who declare that they have a family member who is a citizen of a European country requiring ETIAS, or is a third-country national enjoying the right to move freely throughout the EU in accordance with EU law, will be asked to provide information about the following:
- the personal information of the family member with whom they have family ties;
- a specification of their family ties with that family member.
If someone is submitting the application on your behalf,that person will have to provide their surname, first name(s), the name and contact details of the organisation or firm (if applicable), as well as information on their relationship to you and a confirmation that this person and you have signed the declaration of representation.
When you apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation, you are required to indicate the first country you intend to stay in. This information is used to process your application. However, once you have your travel authorisation in hand, you can change your plans and travel to any of these 30 European countries.
Filling out the application is quick and easy. Most applicants will receive their ETIAS travel authorisation within minutes, but in some cases the process may take up to 30 days. This is why you should apply well in advance of your travel to avoid complications.
Yes, you will receive an email once your application is processed. If you do not see such an email, please check the junk folder of the email address you provided on your application form - some filters may block automated emails.
In some cases, processing of ETIAS applications may take longer. Within 96 hours you will receive a reply whether your ETIAS travel authorisation has been granted, refused or if you are required to provide additional information or documentation. In the latter case, you will have additional 10 days to provide it.
If the additional information/documentation you provided is sufficient, you will be notified within 96 hours of its submission whether your travel authorisation has been granted or not.
If it is not sufficient, you will receive an invitation for an interview which will take place either in the Consulate closest to your place of residence or online. You will agree on the details directly with the relevant Consulate. The decision on your application will be made within 48 hours after the interview has taken place.
No. The ETIAS travel authorisation is issued only to one person and is linked to their travel document. Other persons, including family members, are required to have their own ETIAS travel authorisations.
No. It is only possible to submit individual applications, which are linked to the travel document of the individual applicant.
The application form is available in all 24 official EU languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish. However, you will only be able to fill in the application using the Latin alphabet.
You should make sure to avoid common mistakes such as using the number ‘0’ instead of the letter ‘O’ or vice-versa when filling in your travel document number. Paying particular attention to such details is very important, as the ETIAS travel authorisation is linked to your travel document number: if the numbers do not match, you will be refused boarding and entry at the border.
Also, make sure you provide an email address that you personally have access to. This email address will be used for all communication related to your travel authorisation.
Yes. The system allows you to start an application and come back to complete it later. Your draft application will be stored for 48 hours. After that it will be deleted automatically, and you will have to start a new application.
If you have problems with your application you can request support through the support request form that can be found on the application form.
Yes. It is possible for another person (e.g. a friend, a family member, etc.) or a commercial intermediary (e.g. a travel agency) to apply on your behalf, if you have authorised them to do so. You will both need to sign a declaration of representation.
This is the only official website of the European Union that allows you to submit applications for ETIAS travel authorisations directly, in accordance with the strictest data protection standards. Any other website that provides intermediary services will collect your data and use the official ETIAS website to file the application on your behalf. These websites may also require you to pay additional fees. Before you decide to use the services of intermediary websites, make sure you verify the quality of their services, additional charges and how they protect your data.
Applying for ETIAS travel authorisation directly costs EUR 7. Any additional fee charged on top of that goes to the intermediary services provider. We advise you to be careful whom you make payments to or share your personal data with.
Both you and the commercial intermediary will need to sign a declaration of representation.
Make sure that you personally have access to the email account included in your application. It will be used for all communication related to your application and travel authorisation. As soon as your application has been filed, you will receive an email confirming it has been submitted together with your unique application number.
More information on what to be careful about is available here.
As you are responsible for the authenticity and correctness of the information you include in your application, be careful when filling it out: mistakes can lead to refusal, revocation or annulment of your ETIAS travel authorisation. You may also be refused entry at the border. Please review your application form carefully and correct any mistakes before submitting it.
If you realise you have made a mistake in the application after submitting it:
The fastest and most convenient way for you is to apply for a new ETIAS travel authorisation - using the data from your old application and correcting the mistake is the easiest option. You should also use this method if you need to make substantial changes to the data in your application, e.g. to change the email address you used, if you listed the wrong nationality, if your passport number or your name has changed.
Another option, if the mistake is minor such as a small typo, is to request its correction. But please note that processing of your request may take up to 30 days.
An ETIAS travel authorisation is linked to the travel document. If you changed your travel document to reflect the change in your name, surname, gender or nationality, you will need to apply for a new ETIAS travel authorisation.
An ETIAS travel authorisation is linked to the travel document. You need to apply for a new ETIAS travel authorisation if you changed your travel document for any reason.
You should report the loss/theft of your passport to the local police. Your ETIAS travel authorisation will be cancelled. You should also contact the Consulate of your country and request them to issue you with a new travel document (such as passport, an emergency travel document or a laissez -passer).
Once you obtain your new travel document, you need to request a new ETIAS travel authorisation providing the details of the new travel document.
Not having access to your email does not affect your ETIAS travel authorisation and you can still travel to the EU. However, it means that you will not be able to check its validity or receive any notifications related to possible revocation or annulment.
For this reason, it is recommended that you should apply for a new ETIAS travel authorisation with an email address that you can access in order to avoid any complications in your journey.
Even if you need to travel urgently, you still have to have a valid ETIAS travel authorisation. While it is always recommended to apply well in advance, most applications are processed within minutes, so it is likely that last-minute applications are processed in time.
In such cases, you can request an ETIAS travel authorisation with limited validity. More information about this is available here.
Refugees, stateless persons or persons who do not hold the nationality of any country do not need an ETIAS travel authorisation if they reside in and hold a travel document issued by any of the European countries requiring ETIAS.
However, recognised refugees and stateless persons who reside on the territory of any of these visa-exempt countries and Ireland, and who are in possession of a travel document issued by that country, may need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation.
Make sure you check the travel requirements for every country you intend to visit as different European countries have different rules: you may need an ETIAS travel authorisation for some of the countries, while you may need a visa for others.
How to check which travel requirements apply to you:
- Open this excel sheet.
- Navigate to the tab “2. Exemptions Article 6(2)” and locate the section “2.2. Visa exemption for refugees and stateless persons who are legally resident in a third country/entity listed in Annex II to the Regulation and are in possession of a travel document issued by the competent authorities of that country/entity”.
- Find the country that issued your travel document and check if you are exempt from the requirement to have a visa for the specific country you intend to travel to.
- If the answer is “yes = visa exempted”, then you need an ETIAS travel authorisation to visit that country.
- If the relevant cell is empty, it means that you need a visa to visit that country.
As a general rule, holders of diplomatic passports do not need an ETIAS, however some exceptions apply and holders of certain type of diplomatic passports may be required to have a visa. Please check here for more details.
No. ETIAS is a travel authorisation that covers nationals of visa-exempt countries coming to the EU for short-term stays. If you have a residence permit, residence card, or a document issued by any of the European countries requiring ETIAS which authorises your stay, you do not need an ETIAS travel authorisation.
You should apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation if you are a national of any of these countries, and you reside on the territory of any of these visa-exempt countries, and you plan to participate in a school trip. Also, you should be exempt from the requirement to have a visa to enter the territory of the European countries requiring ETIAS which you intend to visit during your trip. You have to meet all these conditions in order to be eligible for an ETIAS travel authorisation.
Make sure you check the travel requirements for every country you intend to visit as different European countries have different rules: you may need an ETIAS travel authorisation for some of the countries, while you may need a visa for others.
How to check which travel requirements apply to you:
- Open this excel sheet.
- Navigate to the tab “2. Exemptions Article 6(2)” and locate the section “2.1 Visa exemption granted to school pupils who are nationals of a third country listed in Annex I to the Regulation, reside in a third country listed in Annex II to the Regulation and are travelling in the context of a school excursion as members of a group of school”.
- Find the country that issued your travel document and check if you are exempt from the requirement to have a visa for the specific country you intend to travel to.
- If the answer is “yes = visa exempted”, then you need an ETIAS travel authorisation to visit that country.
- If the relevant cell is empty, it means that you need a visa to visit that country.
You may need an ETIAS travel authorisation to enter the territory of the European countries requiring ETIAS as these countries have different rules for the following categories of crew members:
- a civilian air or sea crew member on duty;
- a civilian sea crew member going ashore holding a seafarer's identity document;
- a crew or member of an emergency or rescue mission in the event of a disaster or an accident;
- a civilian crew member of ships navigating in international inland waters;
Make sure you check the travel requirements for every country you intend to travel to: you may need an ETIAS travel authorisation for some of the countries, while you may not need it for others.
Family members include:
- a spouse, including a spouse of the same sex as clarified by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in its Coman judgment C-673/16;
- a registered partner, if the applicable legislation treats registered partnerships as equivalent to marriage;
- direct descendants who are under the age of 21 or are dependants, and those of the spouse or registered partner;
- dependent direct relatives in the ascending line, as well as those of the spouse or registered partner.
Applicants with family-member status do not have to pay the EUR 7 application fee. Their application will also not be checked against screening rules on illegal immigration.
These exemptions apply to you if you meet the following conditions:
1. You are a family member of a European Union citizen and Directive 2004/38/EC applies to you, or a family member of a national of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland who enjoys the right of free movement equivalent to that of EU citizens.
Important: This only concerns family members of citizens of the forementioned countries travelling to or residing in a country other than that of their nationality;
2. you are not required to hold a visa;
3. you do not hold a residence card pursuant to Directive 2004/38/EC or a residence permit pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002.
You must meet all these conditions to be eligible for an ETIAS travel authorisation with the family member status.
Example 1
You are a Mexican citizen. You are the spouse of a French national, and you want to visit her in France, where she lives.
In the ETIAS application form do not declare yourself as a family member, as Directive 2004/38/EC does not apply to you. You need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation without family-member status and pay the fee of EUR 7.
Please note if you declare yourself as a family member in the ETIAS application form, your statement will not be considered truthful. In this case, your ETIAS travel authorisation may be revoked and you may be denied entry at the border of France.
Example 2
You are an American citizen. You are 17 years old and the son of a French national, and you want to visit your father in Spain, where he lives.
When filling in the ETIAS application form, you may declare yourself as a family member, as Directive 2004/38/EC does apply to you when travelling to Spain. You will not need to pay the fee of EUR 7. You will be required to prove your family status at the border of Spain, otherwise you may be denied entry and your ETIAS travel authorisation may be revoked.
Please note, in this example, your ETIAS travel authorisation is not valid for travelling to France.
If you wish to travel to France, you will need to apply for a new ETIAS travel authorisation without declaringfamily-member status and pay the fee of EUR 7. This ETIAS travel authorisation will be valid in all the European countries requiring ETIAS, regardless of your status as a family member.
You do not need an ETIAS travel authorisation if you hold a residence card pursuant to Directive 2004/38/EC or a residence permit pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002 issued by any of the European countries requiring ETIAS. Otherwise you need an ETIAS travel authorisation.
You do not need an ETIAS travel authorisation if you are a member of the armed forces travelling on NATO or Partnership for Peace business, who holds an identification and individual or collective movement order provided for by the Agreement between the parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces.
Important: If you are travelling for private purposes for part or for the whole duration of your trip to a European country requiring ETIAS, you will need an ETIAS or a visa.
No, if you have a travel document issued by any of the European countries requiring ETIAS or Ireland, you do not need a travel authorisation to enter the territory of any of them. Make sure that you use that travel document during your trip.
Yes. UK nationals, including British overseas citizens (BOC), British protected persons (BPP), British subjects (BS), are required to have a valid ETIAS travel authorisation to travel to any of the 30 European countries requiring ETIAS for a short stay unless they are beneficiaries of the withdrawal agreement. More information on this is available here.
No, if you stay within the border area described in your permit, you do not need an ETIAS travel authorisation. Any further trip will require you to have a valid travel authorisation.
No, you do not need an ETIAS travel authorisation if you only remain in the international transit area. However, you must have a valid travel authorisation if you leave this area and enter the territory of any of the European countries requiring ETIAS.
When applying using this official ETIAS website, you will be charged a fee of EUR 7. Applicants who are under 18 or over 70 years of age are exempt from this payment. Also exempt are family members of EU citizens and family members of non-EU nationals who have right to move freely throughout the European Union.
You don’t need to, as the check-in staff of the carrier and border guards can access your travel authorisation in the system. You may however carry a printout for your own convenience.
No. While a valid ETIAS travel authorisation allows you to board your flight, bus or ferry to any of the countries requiring ETIAS, the ultimate decision always lies with the border guards at the border crossing point, who may refuse entry to travellers, based on national laws or security concerns. A border guard may also ask you to provide additional documents to check if the conditions of entry are met.
An application will be refused if the applicant:
- used a travel document that was reported lost, stolen, misappropriated or invalidated.
- is considered to pose a security, illegal immigration or high epidemic risk.
- fails to reply to a request for additional information or documentation within the given deadline, or fails to attend an interview.
- has previously been refused entry and stay, accompanied with an alert recorded in the relevant information system.
An application will also be refused if there are reasonable doubts about the reliability and veracity of the data, statements or documents provided by the applicant.
Yes. If you receive a decision that your ETIAS application was refused, it will include the reasons for the refusal. It will also provide information about the procedure you should follow if you wish to appeal.
You cannot travel without a valid ETIAS travel authorisation.
If your application is refused, you have the right to appeal. Please note that the appeal will be processed by the authorities of the country that refused your application.
Please note that if you need to travel for humanitarian reasons or to fulfil important obligations, you may request an ETIAS travel authorisation with limited validity.
It is possible for the authorities to either revoke or annul your ETIAS travel authorisation.
Your travel authorisation may be revoked if the authorities obtain evidence that you no longer meet the conditions under which it was issued.
The authorities may annul your travel authorisation if there is evidence that you did not meet the conditions at the time you applied for the ETIAS travel authorisation.
In such a case, you will receive a decision that will include the reasons for the revocation or annulment. It will also provide information about the procedure you should follow if you wish to appeal.
Always check the status of your ETIAS travel authorisation before you travel.
If your travel authorisation is revoked or annulled, you no longer meet the conditions for legal stay on the territory of the European countries requiring ETIAS. You will receive an email about this decision describing the procedure you should follow if you wish to appeal.
Depending on the reasons for which your travel authorisation has been revoked (for example because you have lost your travel document and have been issued a new one), you may also apply for a new ETIAS travel authorisation.
Yes, you can request the revocation of your ETIAS travel authorisation at any time. However, if you are on the territory of the European countries requiring ETIAS when you submit this request, the revocation will only become effective once you leave.
All draft applications will be automatically deleted after 48 hours. If you wish to delete a draft application sooner, you can do it using the hyperlink that will be sent to your email address when you save your first draft.
Your travel authorisation will be valid for three years or until the end of validity of your travel document - whichever comes first. If your passport is valid for two years, your ETIAS will also be valid for two years.
You will receive an email regarding the upcoming expiration of your ETIAS travel authorisation. You will be able to apply for a new authorisation 120 days before the expiry of your current travel authorisation.
An ETIAS travel authorisation is valid until its expiry, regardless of the age of the person it was issued to.
The national authorities of the European countries requiring ETIAS, the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation and the Member States of the European Union (Europol) employ the most sophisticated technology and measures to prevent unauthorised access to the information you enter and view.
Only authorised users from the authorities involved will be able to access personal data stored in the ETIAS central system, according to their role/duties.