ETIAS Explained: The New EU Travel Permit British Tourists Need in 2025

Spontaneous trips to the continent are about to come with a little more admin. British travellers, like visitors from dozens of other countries outside the European Union, will soon have to obtain a travel authorisation before they can holiday in much of Europe. No firm launch date has been confirmed, but the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, better known as ETIAS, is widely expected to become official in the first half of 2025.

It is one of the most visible consequences of Brexit for ordinary holidaymakers, and it has unsettled some families used to hopping across the Channel without a second thought. The good news is that the process is designed to be quick, cheap and valid for years at a time.

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What ETIAS is and what it costs

ETIAS is not a visa. It is an online travel authorisation that certain visitors will need to complete before they set off for Europe. Applicants fill in an online form with their personal details, answer a short set of security questions and pay a fee of €7. Once approved, the authorisation is linked electronically to the traveller's passport.

The permit is valid for three years, or until the linked passport expires, whichever comes first. That means most travellers will apply once and then forget about it for several years, using the same authorisation for multiple trips rather than reapplying before every journey.

Who needs it and who travels free

ETIAS applies to visa-free travellers from third countries, the United Kingdom now among them, who want to make short stays in the Schengen Area. That zone covers most EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. In total, travellers from around 60 non-EU countries will have to comply once the system is live.

The fee is waived for younger and older travellers: children under 18 and adults over 70 pay nothing, although they still have to submit an application. To ease the transition, there will also be a grace period of at least six months when ETIAS first launches, giving travellers time to adjust. Even so, applying early is the safest way to avoid any last-minute disruption.

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How it fits with Brexit and the EES

ETIAS is separate from the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), a digital border scheme that also affects British travellers and was due to begin on 10 November. It is worth keeping the two apart in your mind: EES records when you cross the border, while ETIAS is the authorisation you obtain in advance. To underline the distinction, the original reporting was corrected to stress that ETIAS is a travel authorisation, not a visa.

For many British families, it still feels like extra paperwork. One parent, Flora, voiced frustration at the additional hoops now involved in a European break. Travel expert Rob Staines acknowledges the extra red tape as a reality of post-Brexit travel, but argues it is understandable that the EU wants to strengthen its borders, and he does not think it will put British tourists off. With more than 17 million Brits visiting Spain last year alone, their favourite destination, demand is unlikely to fade. When the system goes live, you will be able to start your ETIAS application online in a matter of minutes.