ETIAS delayed until May 2025

ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, was due to go live in 2024 however reports have surfaced that the system will now be delayed until May 2025.

EU Sources have confirmed that the European Union has, once more, pushed back the introduction of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

It was previously thought that the system would go live around the middle of 2024.

The aim of ETIAS will be to pre-screen travellers from "third-countries", otherwise known as citizens from countries that do not need a Schengen Visa. The aim of the screening would combat potential terrorist threats and migration related risks by identifying individuals who pose a security threat before they enter the Schengen area.

What ETIAS is not is a visa. It is a visa waiver, similar to the U.S. ESTA. Travelers currently visiting European Member countries visa-free, will require an ETIAS in 2024 onwards. Passport holders of the EU single market are exempt from ETIAS.

Travellers from the UK to the Canary Islands will require ETIAS registration which needs to be renewed every three years.

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