ETIAS Scams: What to Know About EU Travel as the EES Launch Causes Confusion

Non-EU citizens planning travel to Europe are being warned by an industry body not to fall for scams amid widespread confusion over new entry and exit rules. Two different systems are arriving at different times, and fraudsters are taking advantage of the gap between what travellers think they need and what the rules actually require.

The first change is the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), which is due to launch on 12 October with a six-month rollout. At external borders where the infrastructure is in place, travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries will scan their passports or travel documents at a self-service kiosk and register their biometric data. The second change, ETIAS, is still some way off — and that gap is exactly where the scams flourish.

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What is actually required now

It is worth being clear about what is and is not in force. The ETIAS is not due to launch until the last quarter of 2026, and even then it comes with a transitional grace period, so it will not be mandatory until 2027. As such, there is presently no requirement for visa-exempt non-EU nationals to obtain any additional documentation to travel.

In other words, the only border change arriving in the near term is EES, and EES is something that happens at the border itself rather than an application you complete in advance. If you see a website inviting you to pay for an "ETIAS" or an "EES permit" today, that is a warning sign in itself, because neither requires an advance purchase right now.

How ETIAS will work

Under ETIAS, travellers who do not need a visa from non-EU countries — including the UK, Australia, the US and Canada — must obtain an authorisation before short stays in the Schengen Area. The process involves an online application, providing personal details, answering security questions and paying a €20 fee. The authorisation is linked to the passport and valid for three years or until the passport expires.

Travellers from 60 non-EU countries will have to comply. The fee is waived for applicants under 18 and over 70, although they still need to apply. ETIAS will apply to 30 European countries — all EU states except Ireland, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland — giving it a broad reach across the continent once it is finally live.

Photo by Jonas Horsch on Pexels

The scam warning

With EES launching, some travellers wrongly assume they also need ETIAS now. The travel association ABTA and the EU both warn that scammers are exploiting this confusion. ABTA cautions that people who try to apply for ETIAS now may be at risk of fraud, losing money and possibly personal data — and there are already more than 60 fake websites claiming to sell the yet-to-be-introduced visa waiver.

When the time finally comes, the only place to apply will be the official website, travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en. Any other apps, websites or social-media posts offering to process your application are impostors. ABTA Director of Public Affairs Luke Petherbridge stressed that there is only one official site for purchasing an ETIAS visa-waiver and that people should not use other channels. The safest rule is simple: until the official system opens, no genuine ETIAS application exists, and when it does, you should apply only through the official ETIAS website.