What Are ETA and ETIAS, Europe’s New Visa-Waiver Programs?

By Cameron Hewitt

Americans, Canadians, and residents of dozens of other countries will soon be required to preregister for entry authorization before they arrive in Europe. While this may sound like a real hassle — no one wants yet another item on their pretrip to-do list — most people will find it easy and quick. You'll submit an online application before your trip, pay a small fee, and be on your way.

The UK and the rest of Europe are launching separate systems on separate timelines: The UK's Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is required for visitors from the US and Canada (including anyone just transiting through a UK airport) as of January 8, 2025, and nearly all of the rest of Europe is set to kick off a similar program — the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) — sometime in mid-2025.

What are ETA and ETIAS?

The UK's ETA and Europe's ETIAS programs are both measures to improve border-security screening among travelers who don't need a visa to enter these zones. Those travelers include people holding passports from the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

How do ETA and ETIAS work?

Once the requirements kick in, you'll need to submit an online application ahead of your trip and pay a fee of about $10 (£10 for the ETA, €7 for the ETIAS). Applications must be completed for every traveler, regardless of age. The UK requires a fee for each ETA applicant, but for the ETIAS the fee is waived for those under 18 or above 70 years old. Once approved, you'll be notified that the authorization is now electronically linked to your passport. Most applications will be reviewed quickly — many within minutes, most within one day, and nearly all within three business days. But it's still smart to apply at least a month ahead of your visit, just in case questions arise about your application, as this could delay your authorization by several days or weeks.

When does ETA go into effect?

Travelers with passports from the US, Canada, and most other non-European countries can apply as soon as November 27, 2024, and will need to have an ETA to enter the UK as of January 8, 2025. (EU passport holders won't need an ETA to enter the UK until April 2, 2025.)

For more information, and to apply, see the UK government's ETA page. You may find it easiest to apply via the UK ETA app.

When does ETIAS go into effect?

The EU plans to launch the program in mid-2025. Most travelers should have plenty of time to apply for authorization ahead of the requirement for entry. (And a few months' grace period is planned to follow the launch, during which authorities may waive the requirement for arriving travelers unaware of the new rule.)

You can check the EU's official ETIAS page for the latest; ETIAS.com is also a good source for info.

Which countries will require ETA registration?

An ETA will be required for entry throughout the UK: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. You'll need an ETA to enter any UK airport from outside the UK, even if you're only there to change flights.

Which countries will require ETIAS registration?

ETIAS registration will be required throughout most of Europe (including Iceland and Cyprus), but not the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom (as it requires an ETA instead), nor some countries on Europe's eastern edge (e.g. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, or Serbia). You do not need to apply for the ETIAS for a layover alone, as long as you remain within the airport's security area.

How long do ETA and ETIAS approvals last?

Once you have an ETA, you can use it to enter the UK as many times as you like over a period of two years — or until your passport expires — for stays of up to six months (the UK's short-stay limit).

An ETIAS authorization is good for three years on the same passport — provided you don't exceed the existing Schengen short-stay limit of 90 days out of any 180-day period.

Why do ETA and ETIAS exist?

The UK and the ETIAS's member nations hope to improve their border security while speeding up passport checks at entry points. It follows on the heels of similar measures already enacted by other countries popular with travelers, such as Australia and New Zealand's "electronic travel authority" programs. Indeed, the US has been requiring visa-exempt visitors to register before arrival since 2009 (through the Department of Homeland Security's Electronic System for Travel Authorization, a.k.a. ESTA). The ETA and ETIAS programs appear to be closely modeled after ESTA, effectively requiring the same of American visitors to Europe that the US requires of Europeans.

How will this affect European travel in 2025?

Fortunately, ETA and ETIAS are both easily managed formalities — nothing akin to the hassle of getting or renewing a passport. If you're reading this, you've already leaped the only significant hurdle: simply being aware that the requirements are soon to kick in.

It's widely expected that airlines will take the lead in making sure their passengers know about ETA and ETIAS — and are likely to require authorization at check-in.

Each country in Europe is now also setting up its own automated "entry/exit system," though not necessarily all at the same pace. Upon arrival from outside Europe, you may see, in the place of border-guard booths, kiosks for scanning your passport and biometric data (facial image and fingerprints). For a while, however, many entry points will still be staffed by human border officials. But over time, the interminable-feeling lines for passport control that have long frustrated international travelers may become a thing of the past.

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Cameron Hewitt is the co-author of several Rick Steves guidebooks.