New ETIAS entry requirement for Europe

UPDATE (24 November 2023): The ETIAS travel authorisation system has been delayed to 2025.

If you are planning a trip to Europe, you’ll be required to apply for a travel authorisation via the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). At its heart, ETIAS is a visa waiver that will allow citizens of some countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, to enter Europe and travel freely.

The goal of ETIAS is to tighten border security, as well as digitally screen and track travellers entering and leaving EU countries. It’s really just one more step to think about before your trip.

You cannot apply for the ETIAS visa waiver right now. The online system will go live in 2025.

It will still be easy to travel to Europe, and it changes nothing once you’re actually there. Australians with ETIAS approval will be able to enter any one of 30 continental European countries for up to 90 days in a 180-day period, including France, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland.

Applications will be accepted online through the ETIAS website and will cost a small fee €7 ($11.40). Applicants under 18 or over 70 pay nothing.

You’ll need to provide basic personal information, travel plans / history, and answer other security questions. The authorisation is linked to your passport and is valid for up to 3 years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.

In most cases, applications will be processed within a few minutes but you are advised to apply well in advance.

ETIAS was first proposed in 2016, adopted in 2018 and has been delayed ever since.

As more details about ETIAS become available, we will update this page.