Confusion over Europe’s long-awaited Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) deepened on 23 July after the EU quietly changed the wording on its official portal. As reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the site now states that ETIAS is “not yet operational and no applications are being accepted”, replacing language that had promised a Q4 2026 launch. The update comes amid airline warnings that the companion Entry/Exit System (EES)—already live— is causing longer queues at trial airports. Industry sources say Brussels may push the ETIAS go-live to 2027 to avoid an overlap with the Paris Olympics. Whenever it starts, the fee will be €20—nearly triple the originally publicised €7. Children under 18 and travellers over 70 remain exempt. British passport holders, Americans and 60+ other visa-exempt nationalities will need the authorisation for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Frontex warns of more than 100 unofficial websites already offering paid “applications” and urges travellers to wait for the genuine portal to open. For global-mobility teams, the message is clear: do not budget for ETIAS processing this fiscal year, but continue employee education to avoid last-minute surprises. Travel-policy templates should be updated to reflect the €20 fee and four-year validity, and relocation providers should audit supplier materials to scrub out outdated 2026 launch dates.
Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin
