EU confirms further delay to €7 Etias visa waiver scheme

The rollout of Etias, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is dependent on the EU’s parallel Entry-Exit System, which will introduce biometric border checks.

However, like Etias, this has been repeatedly delayed.

Etias was signed off by the European Parliament in July 2018 and had initially been due to launch in 2021.

It will apply to visa-exempt, third-country nationals travelling to the Schengen area. The UK became a third country as a result of Brexit.

The Etias website, though, was updated this week to state it will now come into effect "in mid-2025".

Etias visa waivers will cost €7 (£6). The UK this week launched its own visa waiver scheme, ETA.