Travelling to Europe by Bus, Train or Car Under ETIAS Rules

The start of ETIAS will bring new requirements for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of the 30 European countries that require it. Crucially, the rule applies regardless of how you arrive: a valid ETIAS travel authorisation will be needed whether you fly, take a coach, board a train or drive across the border. For travellers used to crossing land frontiers with little more than a passport, it is worth understanding how the checks will work for each mode of transport.

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Travelling by bus

If you travel to a country that requires ETIAS by bus, your authorisation will be checked by border authorities when you arrive at the border. Without it, you will be refused entry. The bus company itself may not check your ETIAS before you board, because bus operators will have three years from the start of ETIAS to comply with that obligation.

Consider Ana, a Montenegrin national travelling by bus from Podgorica to Split in Croatia for a holiday. As a national of a visa-exempt country, Ana will need an ETIAS, provided her passport meets the requirements for travel documents issued by Montenegro. The bus company may not check before boarding whether she holds one, but Croatian border guards will do so on arrival, and they will also confirm she meets all other entry conditions.

Travelling by train and by car

Train operators will not be obliged to verify that passengers hold a valid ETIAS. If you travel by rail to the European countries that require it, your authorisation will usually only be checked when you reach the border. There is an important exception: for trains departing from the United Kingdom, border guards will check your ETIAS before you board. Take John, a UK national travelling from London St Pancras for a three-day conference in Brussels. As he is not a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement, he must hold an ETIAS before his trip, and station authorities will confirm he has a valid authorisation before letting him board.

If you are driving, your authorisation will be checked by the border guard at the crossing point, and every person in the car, including children, must have their own individual ETIAS. Picture Marija, Nicola and their two children, all North Macedonian nationals, driving from Skopje to Thessaloniki for a two-week holiday in Greece. At the border crossing, the authorities will check that each family member, including both children, holds a valid ETIAS before granting entry. To work out whether your nationality needs an authorisation in the first place, start with this guide to who needs ETIAS.