ETIAS launch postponed until 2027 after EU border chaos

The European Union has confirmed that it will postpone the rollout of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) until 2027. Here’s what you need to know:

Why the EU delayed the new travel system again

Summer holiday-goers across the EU are facing the reality of long waits at passport control and delayed flights due to the chaotic rollout of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES). 

Airlines and airports have called on the EU to “take stock of reality” and pause the EES over the busy summer period. But the bloc has not heeded their call, saying an EES suspension is “not needed” when there are only “20 difficult spots” where long queues have been a problem.

Now, however, the EU has announced that it will pause the rollout of a separate new EU visa system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, commonly known as ETIAS. 

According to the Financial Times (FT), which first reported the postponement, the ETIAS is now “unlikely to be rolled out this year” due to “chaotic rollout of a separate electronic border-check system [that has] disrupted visits to the bloc”.

The ETIAS was initially due to launch in 2021 but has been consistently delayed. The most recent abandoned launch date was the “last quarter of 2026”; it has now been postponed to 2027.

The ETIAS explained

While the EES is a border control system that requires non-EU citizens to log their passport details and biometric data when they first enter any EU country, the ETIAS is a travel authorisation document that visa-exempt nationals need to travel to 30 European countries. Switzerland, while not an EU member, is included because it is part of the Schengen Area.

Nationals of 59 countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, Japan, Brazil and Colombia, enjoy visa-free travel to the EU. The ETIAS requires all visa-exempt nationals to complete a form with their personal, passport, and security information before they travel, and to pay 20 euros to receive authorisation.

This single authorisation is linked to their passport, is valid for up to three years, and allows multiple trips. Once the ETIAS launches, the FT estimates that the rollout will impact 1,4 billion people from visa-exempt countries.

The Swiss government has warned that several fake websites currently exist and “appear official but provide false information about ETIAS and collect personal data.” Make sure to only use information provided by the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration or the EU.

Do expats in Switzerland need an ETIAS?

Non-EU citizens with a Swiss residence permit, however, will not be required to complete an ETIAS; they can simply show their passport and residence permit at the border.

When the system is finally rolled out, there will also be a six-month transition period. During the transition period, relevant passengers should complete the ETIAS form, but those who haven’t will not be denied entry at the border.

This article originally featured on IamExpat Germany.