Key points
- The EU's ETIAS pre-travel authorization may slip past its 2026 target into 2027.
- EU-Lisa, the agency managing ETIAS, has acknowledged a 2026 launch is unrealistic, according to the Financial Times.
- The delay is tied to the troubled rollout of the Entry/Exit System (EES), which records biometric data at borders.
- ETIAS would require around 1.4 billion visa-exempt travelers to register online and pay a €20 fee.
A 2026 launch now looks unrealistic
The EU’s ETIAS pre-travel authorization faces a possible delay beyond its 2026 target. According to the Financial Times, sources say EU-Lisa — the agency managing ETIAS — has acknowledged that a 2026 launch is unrealistic. The board discussed the timeline in June 2026 and plans to reconvene in September to set a revised date.
Once live, ETIAS would require roughly 1.4 billion visa-exempt travelers, including US and UK citizens, to register online before arrival, pay a fee and undergo a security check — broadly similar to the US ESTA program. The fee is set at €20 (about US$23).
The EES rollout is the sticking point
The potential ETIAS slip stems largely from the troubled rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which records biometric data at external borders. EES was originally targeted for 2022 but faced repeated postponements tied to technology sourcing, software bugs and uneven national readiness. Since going live, it has driven long airport queues and border bottlenecks.
Officials point to national readiness
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner attributed part of the delay to member states rather than the systems themselves:
“Other factors, unrelated to the EES, like insufficient staff or lack of adequate infrastructure, could be at the origin of delays.”
An EU-Lisa spokesperson was more terse, saying “Since then, there have been no further developments on this topic,” while a European Commission spokesperson said “Preparations for the launch of Etias are ongoing.”
The reporting was published by the Financial Times. For context on the border delays behind the debate, see our earlier report on the EES causing multi-hour airport queues. Timelines here remain provisional until the EU confirms a firm date.
