European Union | ETIAS will start operations in the last quarter of 2026

European Union officials published a revised timeline for the implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).

Key Points:

• On March 5, EU Home Affairs ministers endorsed a revised timeline for the EES to become operational in October 2025, with ETIAS expected to follow in the last quarter of 2026.
• ETIAS travel authorization is an entry requirement that certain non-EU visa-free nationals must acquire to visit any of the 30 European countries implementing ETIAS for a short-term stay.

Additional Information: As BAL reported, the European Council announced a general approach had been reached on a regulation that would allow member states to gradually introduce the EES system over a period of six months. Once the regulation on the progressive start of operations of the EES is adopted and the remaining member states declare readiness, the commission will decide on the specific date of the progressive start of the EES, guided by the timeline endorsed by the Home Affairs ministers. BAL will continue to monitor developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.

For more information, check out BAL’s in-depth breakdown of these significant travel systems as well as our expert analysis reviewing the growing digital trend in immigration and the two separate but interconnected systems that will soon have a tremendous impact on non-EU citizens traveling to most EU countries.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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