EU to delay launch of new ETIAS until 2027 - find out why

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a pre-authorisation scheme which will apply to UK passport holders and other visa-exempt travellers entering 30 European countries for short stays.

Applicants will be required to pay a €20 fee, though travellers under 18 or over 70 will be exempt.

ETIAS launch to be delayed until 2027

The ETIAS was expected to launch later this year, but it has now been delayed until 2027, according to the Financial Times.

The delay is due to "technical glitches" and delays with the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which only recently came online after being postponed from 2022.

EU home affairs commissioner, Magnus Brunner, said the delays were due to "other factors", including insufficient staff or lack of adequate infrastructure.

EU to delay pre-authorised travel system after border chaos https://t.co/mYMT7RYAjY

— Financial Times (@FT) July 7, 2026

EU-Lisa, the agency responsible for ETIAS, has reportedly acknowledged that "launching it by the end of this year as planned was no longer feasible".

The European Commission will set the official launch date only after EU-Lisa confirms the system has been fully tested and is ready.

A commission spokesperson said: "Preparations for the launch of ETIAS are ongoing.

"Obviously, as with any large-scale IT system, many factors come into play when deciding when to launch it."

EU refuses to suspend EES

Meanwhile, the EU has rejected calls to suspend its new EES despite reports of "major disruptions" and six-hour queues at airports.

The EES was first introduced in October last year, before the rollout ramped up on April 10.

The new system requires British travellers and other non-EU visitors to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and facial scans, when entering the Schengen Area.

The new EES has received significant backlash since its introduction, with it causing long waits for passengers at airports.

Brits have already been warned of six-hour waits at several major European airports, with these long waits expected to continue for another two years, according to industry experts.

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CEO of Malta Air, David O’Brien, even threatened to pull all flights to Malta due to the extended wait times caused by the EES at airports.

Major airlines, including Jet2 and Ryanair, have urged the EU to suspend the EES rollout until after the peak summer travel period or risk "major disruptions".

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) also called for an EES suspension until next summer, with passengers experiencing “delays and missed connections” in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Belgium.

Greece temporarily suspended the rollout of the EES back in April, while Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said he is "unhappy" and could suspend the system if delays continue.

Aeroporti di Roma chief executive Marco Troncone also threatened to suspend the new system at Rome's Fiumicino and Ciampino Airports.

However, the EU has now rejected calls for the EES to be suspended, just weeks out from the summer holidays and peak travel season, according to The Guardian.

EU officials said the new system was "not perfect", but a full suspension was "not needed" and "not possible".

If the system were left open in some countries and closed in others, it could lead to travellers being stranded at border crossings, officials explained.

The EU, speaking in The Guardian, said that of the 1,500 border crossing points, only 20 were “difficult spots”, and it would pressure those members to put measures in place to ease congestion.

Are you aware of all the rules and costs around the new ETIAS? Let us know in the comments below.