The EU plans to roll out the European Travel Authorisation and Information System, or Etias, during the last quarter of 2026. Equivalent to the US's Esta regime or the UK's ETA, it will require all travellers from the UK to obtain an online visa waiver costing €20 (£17.50).
While it is separate from EES, which launched on Sunday (12 October) and will see passport stamping replaced with fingerprinting and facial scans, Etias will rely on EES data to vet travellers.
During a House of Lords call for evidence on Tuesday (14 October), Niovi Vavoula, University of Luxembourg associate professor and chair in cyber policy, said she was “pessimistic” about the launch of Etias.
