ETIAS: who will need it, and who does not
€20, valid 3 years or until the passport expires. Start expected in the last quarter of 2026.
59 passports will need it to enter the 30 countries concerned — the Schengen area and Cyprus.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. Nothing to do.
105 passports need a Schengen visa, which ETIAS does not replace. Visa refusals, consulate by consulate
Applications will be made on the European Union website, on a europa.eu domain. Some websites already offer to "pre-register" an ETIAS that does not exist yet, for a fee: there is nothing to pay before the official opening.
travel-europe.europa.euThe answers
- When does ETIAS start?
- The European Commission expects it to start in the last quarter of 2026. The regulation provides for a transitional period at launch, during which the authorisation is not yet required at the border.
- How much does ETIAS cost?
- €20, according to the European Commission. Travellers under 18 or over 70 are exempt from the fee.
- How long is ETIAS valid?
- 3 years, or until the passport expires, for an unlimited number of trips.
- Do EU citizens need ETIAS?
- No. Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland are not concerned.
- Do US and Canadian citizens need ETIAS?
- Yes, once the system is in force: US and Canadian passports are visa-exempt for Schengen, so they will need ETIAS.
- Does ETIAS replace a Schengen visa?
- No. ETIAS only concerns passports that are already visa-exempt. Travellers who need a Schengen visa still need one.
The 59 passports that will need ETIAS
- Albania
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Samoa
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- St. Kitts & Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent & Grenadines
- Taiwan
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
The 30 countries where it will be required
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
Schengen visa, not ETIAS: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.
Sources: European Commission (price, start, exemptions), ETIAS regulation (validity, transition), checked on 2026-09-14. Passport list computed from the site's visa data (Schengen visa-exempt passports, excluding EU, EEA and Switzerland; Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City not classified). The official website is authoritative.