New entry requirements for traveling to Europe have been postponed again.
The European Union eventually plans to roll out two related—but different—systems that will affect international travelers headed to the 27-nation bloc. But implementation of both programs has been pushed back.
When Will Europe’s Entry/Exit System (EES) Start?
One of the new initiatives is called the Entry/Exit System (EES), which will digitally record the comings and goings of visitors from other countries by scanning biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images when travelers arrive and depart European countries.
That will allow EU border authorities to strengthen security measures and speed up border crossings, according to the EU. The system will also mean the end of European passport stamps.
It will not, however, require travelers to do anything extra before leaving home; the fingerprinting and face-scanning will happen upon arrival at European destinations—though travelers will eventually have the option of pre-registering via mobile app and automated kiosks at border entry points. It will not be possible to opt out of providing biometric data for short-term visitors with privacy concerns.
But EES, which already blew past its most recent planned launch date of late 2024, has been delayed again, according to a press release from the European Council, part of the EU’s executive branch.
Now, per the Council’s March 5 statement, member states will “gradually introduce” EES “over a period of six months.”
The EU’s webpage for EES currently states the system is “expected to start in October 2025.” Which is seven months from March, not six, but who’s counting.
When Will the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) Start?
Delaying the launch of EES delays, in turn, the launch of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a planned requirement for travelers from the United States, Canada, and about 60 other “visa-exempt” countries who want to enter any of 30 different European nations.
Before their trips to Europe, those travelers will need to complete the online application process for ETIAS and pay a fee of €7 (about $7.60 as of this writing). People under age 18 and over 70 are excused from paying the fee, though everybody, regardless of age, will need to register with ETIAS.
But nobody, regardless of age, has to do that anytime soon because the European Union has postponed the launch of ETIAS to the “last quarter of 2026.”
The deadline has already been moved back a few times already. The latest delay appears to stem from the postponement of the Entry/Exit System, “a precondition for ETIAS to enter into operation,” as Afar explains.
So to sum up: ETIAS needs EES to get going, and the EU doesn’t have an ETA on either. QED.
In the meantime, “no action is required from travellers at this point,” according to the EU, and your European vacation can proceed as normal.
Note, however, that the United Kingdom’s similar Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has launched, so you will need to apply for that and pay the fee of £10 (about $13) to enter England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
Make sure, by the way, that you apply for the UK ETA only via the official government website, gov.uk, or by downloading the UK ETA app. Beware of scammers misdirecting folks to fraudulent third-party services and dupe sites.