Europe’s ETIAS travel authorisation will triple in price before even launching

Back in 2016, the European Commission proposed plans to introduce the European Travel Information and Authorisation System or ETIAS, an electronic travel authorisation for Singaporeans and citizens of other visa-exempt countries. This is conceptually similar to the ESTA or K-ETA required by the USA and South Korea respectively.

But the road to implementation has been far from smooth, to put it mildly. Initially scheduled to launch in early 2022, ETIAS has faced multiple delays, with the latest postponement pushing its rollout to late 2026 (hey, it wouldn’t be the EU without hopeless levels of inefficiency!).

I don’t think many travellers will shed a tear about the perpetual delay of yet another piece of red tape. However, when ETIAS finally goes live — a date set for sometime between October and December 2026 — the application fee will nearly triple in cost from the originally-envisioned €7 (~S$10).

ETIAS fee to be hiked to €20

Earlier this week, the European Commission announced that the ETIAS fee will be increased to €20 (~S$30), in order to reflect inflation and additional operating costs. 

This increase aims to cover the operational costs of ETIAS, taking into account all its functionalities and inflation rates, and align the EU fee to the ones of other countries that have similar travel authorisation programmes.

-European Commission

I suppose it shouldn’t come as a shock that when you set a price in 2016 and implement it a decade later, there’s going to be some adjustments necessary. Still, a threefold increase before even launching is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way.

I doubt that this alone will lead to a significant drop in travel demand to the EU (if your budget can’t stomach an additional S$20 then perhaps it’s not the best idea to travel there in the first place), but it’s still an annoyance and another thing that can potentially go wrong.

Who needs an ETIAS?

You will require an ETIAS travel authorisation if you:

• Are not an EU national
• Do not have a residence permit/card/document issued by any of the European countries requiring ETIAS
• Are a citizen of a country under the visa waiver programme

Singaporeans, as citizens of visa-waiver countries, will require an ETIAS when they travel to Schengen countries. The full list of visa-waiver countries can be found below.

An ETIAS is required for each member of the travelling party, regardless of age. However, application fees will be waived for those under 18 or over 70 (you still need to apply for one, but there is no fee payable). 

An ETIAS will not be required if you are only transiting through a European airport (and remain in the international transit area), en route to another destination.

However, if you’re travelling on separate tickets, then it’s very likely that the first airline will request an ETIAS, for the simple reason that they don’t want to be on the hook for the cost of repatriating you should anything go wrong. 

You do not need to have confirmed travel plans to apply for an ETIAS. During the application process, you will be asked to indicate the first country you intend to stay in, but you can subsequently change your plans after approval and travel to any of the 30 European countries participating in ETIAS.

Which countries can you visit with ETIAS?

A total of 30 European countries are participating in ETIAS.

Notable European countries where ETIAS will not be required include Ireland, Turkey, and of course, the United Kingdom. 

How much does an ETIAS cost?

As mentioned earlier, the application fee for an ETIAS will cost €20 (~S$30).

Anyone aged under 18 or over 70 at the time of application will not be required to pay for an ETIAS, though they must still apply for one.

Therefore, if you have a 17-year old child, it would make sense to apply for an ETIAS just before their 18th birthday, to cover them for unlimited trips until the age of 21 at no cost.

2026 or 2027?

While the EU is hoping to finally launch ETIAS in late 2026, you might not even need to apply for one till 2027.

That’s because the launch of ETIAS will be followed by:

1. a transitional period of at least six months, during which travellers without ETIAS will still be permitted entry, so long as they fulfil all other entry conditions
2. a further grace period of another six months, during which travellers coming to Europe for the first time since the end of the transitional period will be allowed to enter without an ETIAS, so long as they fulfil all other entry conditions

Further FAQs and official website

Further FAQs about the ETIAS scheme can be found here.

When the system does eventually go live, you can apply via this link. As with every electronic travel authorisation scheme, there will inevitably be a ton of copycat websites designed to look like the real deal. At best, these will help you apply for a legitimate ETIAS, but charge a stiff markup. At worst, they might flat-out scam you. 

To be safe, always apply on the official website. 

Conclusion

Singaporeans and citizens of other visa waiver countries won’t need an ETIAS this year, with the implementation date slipping to late 2026.

The EU will announce the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch, and even then there’ll be a grace period where ETIAS won’t be strictly necessary. However, when that time inevitably comes, they will need to cough up €20 per traveller (except for those under 18 or over 70), almost 3x what was originally quoted.