{"id":3065,"date":"2026-07-03T12:54:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europe-visa.eu\/etias-statistics\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T12:59:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:59:29","slug":"etias-statistics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/europe-visa.eu\/ka\/etias-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"ETIAS Statistics & Launch Tracker 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Status:<\/strong> pre-launch · Confirmed launch window:<\/strong> Q4 2026 · Fee:<\/strong> €20 · Last updated:<\/strong> 3 July 2026<\/p>\n

ETIAS — the European Travel Information and Authorisation System — is not yet in operation. This page collects every officially confirmed fact about the system in one place: the launch window, the fee, who will need it, the expected scale, and each milestone as the EU confirms it. Once ETIAS goes live and official application statistics begin to appear, this tracker will be updated with real volumes, approval rates and nationality breakdowns — the same way our UK ETA statistics hub<\/a> tracks the UK scheme. Everything below is sourced from the European Commission, Frontex, eu-LISA or EU law; nothing is estimated by us. Reuse is welcome with attribution — see how to cite this page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Key facts<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
€20<\/div>\n
application fee, announced 17 July 2025 (previously €7)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Q4 2026<\/div>\n
confirmed launch window (exact date to be announced)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
59<\/div>\n
visa-exempt nationalities that will need ETIAS<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
30<\/div>\n
European countries covered by the requirement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
~1.4 billion<\/div>\n
people worldwide eligible for visa-free travel to the EU<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
3 years<\/div>\n
validity, or until the passport expires<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Fee exemptions are already fixed: applicants under 18 or over 70<\/strong> and family members of EU citizens will not pay the €20 fee (they still submit an application). An ETIAS authorisation permits short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period and is checked by carriers before boarding, alongside the passport. Around 97% of applications are expected to be approved automatically within minutes; the rest go to manual review by the Frontex-run ETIAS Central Unit and national units.<\/p>\n

Launch timeline and milestones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Date<\/th>\nMilestone<\/th>\nStatus<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
16 November 2016<\/td>\nEuropean Commission proposes ETIAS<\/td>\nDone<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12 September 2018<\/td>\nRegulation (EU) 2018\/1240 establishing ETIAS adopted<\/td>\nDone<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5 March 2025<\/td>\nEU home affairs ministers endorse the revised timeline placing the ETIAS launch in the last quarter of 2026<\/td>\nDone<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17 July 2025<\/td>\nCommission announces the ETIAS fee: €20 instead of the original €7<\/td>\nDone<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12 October 2025<\/td>\nEntry\/Exit System (EES) — the border database ETIAS depends on — begins its progressive rollout<\/td>\nDone<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10 April 2026<\/td>\nEES fully operational at all external border crossing points of the 29 participating countries<\/td>\nDone<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Q4 2026<\/td>\nETIAS starts operations; the EU will announce the exact date several months in advance<\/td>\nConfirmed<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
~First 6 months after launch<\/td>\nTransitional period: travellers can still enter without ETIAS if they meet all other entry conditions<\/td>\nPlanned<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
~Following 6 months<\/td>\nGrace period: first-time arrivals since the end of the transitional period are still admitted without ETIAS<\/td>\nPlanned<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Expected late 2027<\/td>\nETIAS fully mandatory for all visa-exempt travellers<\/td>\nPlanned<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Transitional and grace periods are set out in Regulation (EU) 2018\/1240 (art. 83) and Commission guidance; their exact dates depend on the launch date, which the EU has not yet fixed within Q4 2026.<\/p>\n

Expected scale: what the official numbers say<\/h2>\n

The EU has not published a forecast of annual ETIAS application volumes, and this page will not invent one. What the official sources do say:<\/p>\n