Europe Delays ETIAS Entry System Until 2024

The anticipated European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) was expected to complicate spontaneous travel from the U.S. to Europe later this year. However, due to yet another delay, the entry regulations will not change until at least 2024.

As stated on the official ETIAS website, the program's launch has been quietly postponed to 2024 following multiple delays since early 2021. Currently, U.S. passport holders can enter any of the 30 Schengen Area countries for stays under 90 days without additional requirements. However, once ETIAS is implemented—having been first approved for development in 2016—Americans and travelers from 60 other nations will need an ETIAS visa waiver for short visits to Schengen countries.

While U.S. travelers won’t require a visa to enter Europe, once ETIAS is active, it will ensure that travelers are pre-screened before arriving in these EU nations and territories: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

Affected travelers, including Americans, will need to submit passport details, answer several questions, and pay a 7 euro online fee. It is estimated that one in five individuals globally will need to enroll in the ETIAS program to visit the European Union once it is launched.

When the program launches, officials expect that ETIAS applications will typically be processed within 96 hours, although most requests are likely to be handled instantly. Some applicants may need to provide further information or documents, or even attend an interview with national authorities, which could extend the process by an additional 30 days. The ETIAS official website recommends that travelers "apply well in advance of your travel to avoid complications." Depending on actual processing times, this could put spontaneous trips to Europe at risk. However, this concern won’t arise until at least 2024.