Is ETIAS mandatory yet? How the grace period works

What is the ETIAS grace period?

ETIAS will not arrive as a hard switch. The EU has built a run-in of roughly a year between the day the system opens and the day an authorisation is checked on every trip. Travellers tend to call that whole stretch the grace period. The EU splits it in two, and the names matter because the rules differ.

• The transitional period (the soft launch). Roughly the first six months after launch. ETIAS exists and you can apply, but nobody is refused boarding or entry for not holding one.
• The grace period. The stretch after that, planned to last at least a further six months. ETIAS is formally required, but the rules give limited leniency: a traveller arriving without one for the first time can be admitted, provided every other entry condition is met.

Both lengths are the EU’s plan, not a promise. The regulation behind ETIAS allows them to be extended, and the timetable has moved more than once already. Launch is expected in the last quarter of 2026, with the mandatory requirement following around April 2027.

One thing never changes across the phases: the stay limit. Short visits are capped at 90 days in any 180-day period whether ETIAS is optional, lenient or fully enforced.

What happens if you arrive without ETIAS?

It depends entirely on the phase. The same passenger at the same airport gets four different outcomes depending on the date.

Before launch: nothing

There is nothing to hold, so there is nothing to forget. Airlines will not ask and border guards cannot. If a website has sold you an ETIAS for travel in this phase, you have paid for something that does not exist.

During the soft launch: you are let in

You are admitted under the normal entry rules, exactly as before. Expect signs and reminders at the border rather than refusals. Applying during this phase is still sensible, because it removes any risk of being caught out when the rules tighten.

During the grace period: one-time leniency

This is the phase people worry about. Border guards can admit you the first time you arrive without an ETIAS, provided you meet all the other entry conditions: a valid passport, a clear purpose of stay, and so on. It is a one-off cushion built into the rules for travellers caught out by the change. Lean on it twice and you can be turned away.

Once fully mandatory: refusal is possible

The check moves forward to the departure gate. Carriers must confirm you hold a valid authorisation before boarding, so the likeliest consequence of forgetting is not a difficult conversation in Europe but a refused boarding at home.

Which phase applies on your travel date?

Right now no phase applies at all, because ETIAS has not launched. The system is expected to open in the last quarter of 2026.

Phases are decided by when you travel, not when you book. A trip booked today for next summer falls under whatever rules apply next summer. Our ETIAS status page tracks the official timeline and is updated whenever the EU moves a date, so check it again close to departure. If you are not sure ETIAS applies to your passport at all, the free checker answers that in under a minute.

If your trip straddles a likely boundary between phases, skip the guesswork and plan to hold an ETIAS. It is expected to cost €20, with no fee for travellers under 18 or over 70, and an approval is expected to last up to 3 years or until your passport expires.

How third-party sites abuse the grace period

A long optional period is awkward for websites that make money from panic. So expect copy that blurs the phases: countdown banners, “deadline approaching” emails, and warnings that you must act today during a stretch when nobody is being refused. Two facts cut through all of it. Nobody can issue an ETIAS before the system opens, and nobody can speed one up afterwards.

If a site uses the mandatory date to rush you into paying, read our guide to ETIAS scams before handing over a card number. ETIAS Pro is a private, independent guide, not an EU body, and when applications open the direct route will be the official EU site at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias.