Travellers heading to the European Union—including visitors to Poland—will not have to apply for the €20 European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) this year. According to a Financial Times report confirmed by EU officials and picked up by Polish daily *Rzeczpospolita* on 7 July, member states and agency eu-LISA agreed to delay the go-live until 2027 after the full roll-out of the Entry/Exit System (EES) created long queues at airports and land borders. EES, which became fully operational on 10 April 2026, requires non-EU nationals to provide fingerprints and facial images at the first border crossing. Airlines and airports complain that kiosks and staffing levels were underestimated; Ryanair cited passenger processing times of up to 90 minutes at peak periods. EU Home-Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner acknowledged the disruption but blamed some states for “insufficient infrastructure”. He urged capitals—including Poland—to speed up procurement of additional e-gates and to integrate carrier pre-registration tools before next summer’s peak. For Polish businesses ETIAS postponement is a mixed blessing: tourists from visa-exempt markets such as the U.S., UK and Canada avoid a new fee this year, which could support inbound travel, but the commercial aviation sector faces continued uncertainty over system interfaces and training. Corporate travel managers should note that once ETIAS enters into force, travellers will need authorisation at least 96 hours before departure.
Source: Rzeczpospolita
