Is ETIAS live yet? Status as of September 2026

No. PlanToTrip checked the sources below on September 9, 2026: ETIAS is not in operation and no application can be filed anywhere. The EU removed its last-quarter-of-2026 launch target in July 2026, and eu-LISA's management board is expected to set a revised timeline after its September 2026 meeting. Once it is live, visa-free visitors will need it for all 30 ETIAS countries in the first table below and for none of the countries in the second.

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Key facts

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Status on September 9, 2026

ETIAS is not in operation and no application can be filed anywhere.
Source: etiaspro.com: when eu-LISA will set the new ETIAS date (July 20, 2026)
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Target dropped

The "last quarter of 2026" target was removed from the official site in July 2026 after eu-LISA concluded a 2026 launch is no longer feasible.
Source: etias.com: ETIAS drops 2026 date as launch slips out of view (July 16, 2026)
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Next milestone

The eu-LISA management board is expected to consider a revised timeline at its September 2026 meeting. No official new date exists until then.
Source: etiaspro.com: when eu-LISA will set the new ETIAS date (July 20, 2026)
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Fee and validity, once live

A fee of 20 euro; an authorization valid for three years or until the passport expires.
Source: etias.com: ETIAS drops 2026 date as launch slips out of view (July 16, 2026)
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30 countries

The 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus. Ireland and the United Kingdom are not part of it.
Source: Wikipedia: European Travel Information and Authorisation System
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Who will need it

Visa-exempt travelers to those 30 countries, which includes citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Stays stay capped at 90 days in any 180-day period.
Source: Wikipedia: European Travel Information and Authorisation System

All 30 ETIAS countries: will you need ETIAS once it is live? (checked September 9, 2026)
Country	ETIAS required when live?	Schengen member?	Note
Austria	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Belgium	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Bulgaria	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit (listed among the 29, source)
Croatia	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit (listed among the 29, source)
Czech Republic (Czechia)	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Official short name Czechia; schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Denmark	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit. The Faroe Islands and Greenland are outside Schengen (see the second table)
Estonia	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Finland	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
France	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit. Also the entry point for Monaco and, with Spain, for Andorra
Germany	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Greece	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Hungary	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Iceland	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Not in the EU, but a Schengen member, so ETIAS applies (source)
Italy	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit. Also the entry point for San Marino and Vatican City
Latvia	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit. Searched as "Latvia ETA" too: the authorization that will apply is the EU-wide ETIAS
Liechtenstein	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	The one microstate that is a Schengen member, so ETIAS applies directly (source)
Lithuania	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Luxembourg	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Malta	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Netherlands	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Norway	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Not in the EU, but a Schengen member, so ETIAS applies (source)
Poland	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Portugal	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Romania	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit (listed among the 29, source)
Slovakia	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Slovenia	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Spain	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit. With France, the entry point for Andorra
Sweden	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Schengen member; days here count toward the 90/180 limit
Switzerland	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	Yes	Not in the EU, but a Schengen member, so ETIAS applies (source)
Cyprus	Yes, for visa-exempt visitors	No	Not in Schengen, but one of the 30 ETIAS countries. Days in Cyprus do not count toward the Schengen 90/180 limit (source)

Countries people confuse with ETIAS
Country	ETIAS required when live?	Why
Ireland	No	EU member with a Schengen opt-out; not among the 30 ETIAS countries (source)
United Kingdom	No	Outside the EU and the Schengen Area; not an ETIAS country. Check UK entry rules separately (source)
Faroe Islands	No	Danish territory outside the Schengen Area; not among the 30 (source)
Albania	No	Not among the 30 ETIAS countries (source)
Montenegro	No	Not among the 30 ETIAS countries (source)
Georgia	No	Not among the 30 ETIAS countries (source)
Turkey	No	Not among the 30 ETIAS countries (source)
Morocco	No	Not among the 30 ETIAS countries (source)
Japan	No	Not among the 30 ETIAS countries (source)
Sri Lanka	No	Sri Lanka has its own Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which is unrelated to ETIAS (source)
San Marino	No ETIAS of its own	You reach it through Italy, so the ETIAS check happens at the Italian border (source)
Monaco	No ETIAS of its own	Every route in runs through France, where ETIAS applies (source)
Andorra	No ETIAS of its own	You need ETIAS to enter France or Spain, even if Andorra is the only destination (source)

What ETIAS is

ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is a pre-travel authorization for people who can visit the Schengen Area without a visa. Once it runs, a visa-exempt traveler applies online before departure, pays a fee of 20 euro, and receives an authorization valid for three years or until the passport expires (etias.com, Wikipedia). It is not a visa and it does not lengthen the stay: short stays remain limited to 90 days in any 180-day period (Regulation (EU) 2016/399).

Timeline so far

March 5, 2025. The European Council says ETIAS is likely to launch in the last quarter of 2026, a few months after the Entry/Exit System (Fragomen, March 17, 2026).
June 2026. At its board meeting, eu-LISA concludes that a Q4 2026 launch is no longer achievable, citing IT integration between ETIAS and the Entry/Exit System (etiaspro.com, July 20, 2026).
July 2026. The official website removes its late-2026 target. The Commission says preparations continue and many factors affect the launch (etias.com, July 16, 2026).
September 2026. The eu-LISA management board is expected to meet and consider a revised timeline. Until it does, no official new date exists (etiaspro.com).

The status line at the top of this page is dated. When the EU publishes a start date, this page will say so and carry the new "Updated" date.

Who will need it

Travelers who do not need a visa for a short stay in the 30 ETIAS countries, which includes citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia (Wikipedia). EU citizens and people who hold a Schengen visa or residence permit do not apply for ETIAS.

Which countries

The first table above lists all 30: the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus (Wikipedia). Each row has its own link, for example #czech-republic or #cyprus. The second table lists the countries people search together with ETIAS that do not need it: Ireland and the United Kingdom are outside the scheme, the Faroe Islands are outside Schengen, and San Marino, Monaco, Andorra and Vatican City have no ETIAS of their own but are reached through Italy, France or Spain, where ETIAS applies (etias.com).

Scam warning

There is no official application to fill in yet, and applications cannot be made anywhere (etiaspro.com). A site that takes your passport details and a payment for an "ETIAS application" today is not the EU system. The only official page is travel-europe.europa.eu/etias; bookmark it and ignore the rest.

What to do instead

The thing that already limits your trips is the 90/180 rule, and it applies whether or not ETIAS is running. Count your days now: PlanToTrip keeps a Schengen 90/180 counter next to the itinerary, counts the trips you planned in it, and tells you before you book whether the next trip would go over (how the counter works). Keep your passport stamps, check the official ETIAS page before a trip, and come back to this page for the date.

Frequently asked

Do I need ETIAS for Czech Republic? +

Once ETIAS is live, yes, if you visit visa-free: Czechia is a Schengen member and one of the 30 ETIAS countries (Wikipedia). As of September 9, 2026 ETIAS is not in operation, so today a visa-exempt visitor travels on a valid passport alone (etiaspro.com, July 20, 2026). Days in Czechia count toward the 90 days in any 180-day limit.

Do I need ETIAS for Liechtenstein? +

Once ETIAS is live, yes. Liechtenstein is the only microstate that is a Schengen member, so ETIAS applies to it directly rather than through a neighbor (etias.com, May 14, 2026). As of September 9, 2026 ETIAS is not in operation, so today a visa-exempt visitor travels on a valid passport alone (etiaspro.com, July 20, 2026).

Do I need ETIAS for Lithuania? +

Once ETIAS is live, yes, for visa-exempt visitors: Lithuania is a Schengen member and one of the 30 ETIAS countries (Wikipedia). As of September 9, 2026 ETIAS is not in operation, so today a visa-exempt visitor travels on a valid passport alone (etiaspro.com, July 20, 2026).

Can I apply for ETIAS now? +

No. As of September 9, 2026 applications cannot be made anywhere (etiaspro.com, July 20, 2026). Any website offering to take an ETIAS application today is not the EU system, and paying it buys nothing. The only official page is travel-europe.europa.eu/etias.

Is the ETIAS application open? +

No, not as of September 9, 2026. The official site removed its late-2026 launch target in July 2026 after eu-LISA concluded that a 2026 launch is no longer feasible (etias.com, July 16, 2026). The application opens only when the EU announces a start date, and this page will carry it.

Does ETIAS apply to Ireland? +

No. Ireland is an EU member with a Schengen opt-out and is not among the 30 ETIAS countries (Wikipedia). Ireland keeps its own entry rules, and the same goes for the United Kingdom.

Is ETIAS a visa? +

No. It is a travel authorization for people who do not need a visa, checked before departure. It does not change the 90 days in any 180-day period limit on short stays (Regulation (EU) 2016/399).

How much will ETIAS cost and how long will it last? +

The fee is 20 euro and an authorization is valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first (etias.com, Wikipedia).

Cyprus is not in Schengen, so why is it on the ETIAS list? +

ETIAS covers the 29 Schengen countries plus Cyprus, which is committed by treaty to join Schengen (Wikipedia). Days spent in Cyprus are not counted against the Schengen 90/180 allowance, because Cyprus is outside the Schengen Area.

When will ETIAS start? +

No official date exists as of September 9, 2026. eu-LISA's management board is expected to consider a revised timeline at its September 2026 meeting (etias.com); reporting since July points to 2027 as the working assumption, which is not official (etiaspro.com). This page will be updated when a date is published.