The European Union has issued an update on the much-delayed ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme)visa-waiver scheme.
The scheme will “not start in the first half of 2025”, and there will be a six month transitional period during which Brits and other non-EU visitors will still be allowed entry without authorisation, providing other entry requirements are met.
Once the scheme is in place, travellers from the UK will pay a €7 fee – around £6 – to enter 30 European countries. It will be free for under-18s and over-70s. No more details were provided on when the scheme will come into force, although the EU said that it will inform people “several months prior to its launch”.
This will follow the introduction of the Entry Exit System (EES), which means travellers will need to provide identity, travel documents and even biometric data such as fingerprints at EU borders.
An ETIAS will be valid for up to three years, or until the travellers’s passport expires, whichever comes first. It will allow short-term visits of 90 days in any 180-day period to any of the EU countries.
