IATA's current Europe entry-requirements page combines practical traveller guidance with operational milestones for EES and ETIAS. It also warns visitors to rely on official EU channels and avoid unofficial ETIAS websites charging extra fees.
Schengen remains one of the EU's clearest achievements, combining passport-free travel with shared border standards and cross-border security tools.
Travel to Europe in 2026 is being reshaped by the phased rollout of the EU Entry/Exit System and the later arrival of ETIAS. For most short-stay visitors, the practical challenge is less about visas than about understanding biometrics, queues and when new checks really apply.
British travellers going to Europe in 2026 are dealing first with the phased Entry/Exit System, not an immediate ETIAS requirement. The practical task now is to prepare for biometrics, slower borders and continued document checks while ETIAS remains a later step.
ABTA's updated consumer guidance recasts Europe travel as a preparation issue rather than a last-minute border surprise. Its message is that travellers should understand the phased EES rollout now, while remembering that ETIAS is not yet open for applications.
Travel to Europe in 2026 comes with a more detailed checklist than many travellers expect. The EU Entry/Exit System is already rolling out in phases, while ETIAS remains a later requirement that should not be confused with the border process now taking shape.
ABTA opened 2026 by setting out a regulatory agenda shaped by border reform, consumer rules and longer-term UK-EU travel issues. For travel businesses and passengers alike, the message was that operational change and policy change will keep moving together this year.
The EU’s Entry/Exit System is now live. From biometrics at borders to phased rollouts and links with ETIAS, here is how EES changes travel for business travellers.
ABTA used its World Travel Market plans to position member support as a mix of networking, industry insight and practical policy discussion. Among the topics on the agenda were Holiday Habits research and a dedicated session on EES and ETIAS.
EU Home Affairs Ministers have endorsed a revised rollout plan for two major travel systems. The Entry/Exit System will go live in October 2025, while the European Travel Information and Authorisation System will launch in late 2026, supported by transitional and grace periods.