ETIAS news and updates
What is actually happening with ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation: the launch timeline, the fee, the border systems behind it and the scams to avoid. Plain English, checked against official EU sources.
- Borders4 min read
ETIAS by car, coach or train: where it gets checked
Drivers are checked only at the border, coach operators have three years before they must check, and trains leaving the UK get a guard check before boarding.
Read → - Application process3 min read
Can you use a US passport card to travel to Europe?
The passport card is built for land and sea trips to Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. For Europe, and for ETIAS later, bring the passport book.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES refusals: what eu-LISA’s own reports show
eu-LISA’s official reports count 28,165 EES refusals from October 2025 to March 2026. Most were about justifying the trip or days already used, not biometrics.
Read → - Scam watch4 min read
ETIAS abuse form: what it covers and what it doesn’t
The EU is building a form to report abuse by commercial ETIAS intermediaries. It covers four named practices, but it is not a refund route, an appeal or a scam-site hotline.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Refused entry at the Schengen border: can you appeal?
Border guards must give a reasoned decision on a standard form, and you have a right to appeal under national law. The appeal does not suspend the refusal. If it succeeds, your EES record must be corrected.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Who can see your EES record? Police, Europol, airlines
Border officers can. Police and Europol can only through a gated request for serious crime. Carriers cannot. Transfers to the US or other countries are barred, with two narrow exceptions.
Read → - Application process4 min read
US green card holders: ETIAS depends on your passport
A US green card does not decide whether you need ETIAS. Your passport nationality does, and visa-required passports follow a different route.
Read → - Borders4 min read
US military and families in Europe: do EES and ETIAS apply?
NATO business with orders is exempt. Leave and private trips are where the EU wording and US guidance diverge, and a movement order does not exempt a visitor from ETIAS.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS for students: short courses, visas and staying on
The EU has a page for students. Courses of up to 90 days need ETIAS once it starts. Longer ones need a student visa, and staying on afterwards brings an EES step.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS with limited validity: the emergency route explained
A few travellers who are refused ETIAS may still be allowed in for a funeral, a court date or urgent medical care. Here is who can ask, what it covers and what it does not.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Ireland plus Europe: EES and ETIAS for American visitors
Ireland sits outside Schengen and outside the EES. For an American combining Dublin with Paris or Rome, the rules change at the Schengen border, not before.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Is there a Global Entry for Europe? What EES allows
Europe has no single trusted-traveller pass. The EU’s EES portal describes country-run “national facilitation programmes” for frequent non-EU visitors. What they relax, who qualifies and what they do not change.
Read → - Scam watch4 min read
Scam emails fake EES registration to steal passport scans
Phishing emails are telling Schengen travellers they must submit a digital migration declaration online before arrival. They are a scam. EES registration happens at the border, not at a website, and there is no advance requirement.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Frankfurt tells non-EU travellers to allow 3 hours for EES
Fraport is telling non-EU travellers to arrive at least three hours before departure, with about 3.5 million passengers expected at Frankfurt Airport between 2 and 18 October 2026. Extra EES data capture at border control is the reason it gives.
Read → - Borders5 min read
Who screens your ETIAS application: Frontex’s role
EU home affairs ministers were due to discuss a Commission plan to expand Frontex on 1 October, with a mandate proposal expected on 28 October. Frontex already hosts the ETIAS Central Unit, which checks flagged applications around the clock.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES queues hit five hours at Brussels Airport
Non-EU travellers waited up to five hours at Brussels Airport passport control in late September, with EES technical problems blamed. The airport says it is working on structural fixes and more police are being trained for the border posts.
Read → - Borders3 min read
Italy extends Spain border checks a third time
Italy extended its air and sea checks on Spain arrivals for a further 15 days from 1 October 2026, taking its deadline to 16 October. Spain has since renewed its own checks on Italy arrivals until 22 October, so the checks continue in both directions.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Austria extends Schengen checks until March 2027
Austria confirmed on 15 September that its internal Schengen border controls with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia continue until 15 March 2027, with police relying on flexible checks across the border area rather than only fixed checkpoints.
Read → - Application process4 min read
Schengen visa or residence permit: no ETIAS needed
ETIAS is for visa-free short-stay visitors only. If you hold a valid Schengen visa, a national long-stay visa or a residence permit from a Schengen country, you are outside the requirement entirely. Two exceptions catch people out.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS manual review: how the Watchlist check works
Some ETIAS applications will go to manual review because the applicant’s details match the ETIAS Watchlist, a list inside the ETIAS system that Europol and member states feed. It is separate from criminal records and SIS. Here is what it contains and what a match means in practice.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EU irregular crossings fall a third, Spain the exception
Frontex preliminary data for the first eight months of 2026 show irregular crossings to the EU down roughly 35% overall. The western Mediterranean route into Spain rose by 34%, the only major route to increase, and the backdrop to Italy and Spain's ongoing tit-for-tat border checks.
Read → - Borders5 min read
EES and ski holidays: what the 2026-27 season looks like
Last winter’s peak ski weeks were an early EES test, with Geneva Airport reporting waits of up to two and a half hours. This winter many regular visitors already have an EES record. Here is what to expect at Alpine airports and how the 90-day count works for skiers.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES has replaced Schengen passport stamps: what it means
Since April 2026, Schengen border officers no longer stamp non-EU passports. The Entry/Exit System records your crossing digitally instead. Here is what replaced the ink stamp, how old stamps are treated, and why your digital record matters for ETIAS.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Night trains in Europe and EES: what to expect at borders
EES biometric registration happens once, at your first Schengen entry point. Crossing from Germany into Austria on a Nightjet involves no EES check. But temporary internal border controls in Germany and Austria run until March 2027, so a passport check during the night is still possible on some routes.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES at October half term: what families need to know
October half term 2026 is the first school holiday since the legal option to pause EES biometric checks ran out. Here is what UK families need to know: queues, children’s rules and the 90-day count.
Read → - Borders3 min read
EES for coach travellers: the land border crossing in 2026
EES biometric registration applies to non-EU passport holders on international coaches, not just air and ferry travellers. Here is what happens at a Schengen external land border when your FlixBus or other coach service reaches the checkpoint.
Read → - Borders3 min read
Italy-Spain Schengen checks extended to October 2026
Italy has extended its border checks on Spain arrivals to 1 October 2026, while Spain’s reciprocal controls on Italy arrivals now run to 7 October. Both measures have been renewed twice since they began in August.
Read → - Launch timeline4 min read
Next ETIAS milestone: eu-LISA board meets in Dublin
eu-LISA’s management board meets 17–19 November in Dublin under the Irish Presidency. The board also met in September, but no ETIAS launch date has been announced. Here is what November could mean for a revised ETIAS timetable.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
EU reviews Schengen short-stay visa rules and fees
The European Commission opened a formal review of the Schengen Visa Code on 8 September 2026, with ideas including tougher visa measures and a possible EU-level charge on top of the existing €90 fee. UK, US and Australian travellers are on a different track entirely.
Read → - Application process4 min read
Your EES record will be checked when you apply for ETIAS
EES has been logging Schengen entries and exits since October 2025. When ETIAS launches, the Central System checks that record automatically. Here is what it looks for, what an overstay or refusal means, and what you can do now.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS and passport renewal: what travellers need to know
ETIAS is issued against your specific passport. Renew your passport after applying and you will need a new ETIAS. With press reports pointing to a 2027 launch, here is how to time your renewal to avoid paying twice.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES biometrics: nine Schengen countries still pausing checks
The formal EES biometric flexibility ran out after 6 September 2026. Ten days on, nine countries including France, Germany and Italy are reportedly still being allowed to limit biometric checks. The 90-day clock is running regardless.
Read → - Application process4 min read
How airlines will check your ETIAS before you board
Airlines and ferry operators must verify ETIAS authorisation before boarding under EU law. Here is how the 48-hour pre-departure carrier check works, how it phases in, which operators get longer, and why you should not plan to fix a missing ETIAS at the gate.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS and EU family: who the residence card exempts
Being related to an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen does not automatically exempt you from ETIAS. The exemption is real, but it requires a specific residence card issued under Directive 2004/38/EC. Here is who qualifies and who does not.
Read → - Launch timeline4 min read
ETIAS launch steps: from board decision to applications
eu-LISA’s board meets this month, but a board meeting is not an ETIAS launch date, and it is not the moment you can apply. Here is the sequence: Commission decision, the notice period, when the portal opens, and when ETIAS becomes mandatory.
Read → - Launch timeline5 min read
What EES has taught the EU about launching ETIAS
Five months of EES has given the EU hard data on what breaks when you add biometric registration to Europe’s external borders. Those lessons are shaping when and how ETIAS is introduced.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Portugal’s EES border checks: what to know for autumn 2026
EES biometric registration is now mandatory at all Portuguese airports, with no pauses allowed for busy periods. What UK travellers heading to Faro, Lisbon or Porto this autumn need to know.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Netherlands Schengen checks end 30 September 2026
The Netherlands will end its temporary passport checks at the German and Belgian borders on 30 September and switch to mobile patrol monitoring. Germany is continuing checks on its side of the same border until March 2027.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Cyprus Schengen accession vote: what it means for travellers
The European Commission gave Cyprus a positive Schengen readiness assessment in July 2026, and the report goes to the EU Council this month. One complication stands out: how the island’s Green Line fits with Schengen and the Entry/Exit System.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES biometric flexibility ends: what changed on 7 September
The EES mechanism letting Schengen border posts suspend biometric registration could be used for the last time on 6 September 2026, and no extension has been announced. Airports now have no pause option, but Channel crossings remain a special case.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Italy-Spain border checks extended into September 2026
Both Italy and Spain have extended their reciprocal Schengen border controls. Italy’s targeted checks on non-EU arrivals from Spain run until 15 September, while Spain’s broader checks on all passengers from Italy continue until 22 September.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
EU visa strategy 2026: what EES means for visa-free access
The European Commission adopted its first EU Visa Strategy in January 2026, promising stronger monitoring of visa-free Schengen access. With EES now logging short-stay crossings automatically, that monitoring has real data behind it for the first time.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Poland extends Schengen border checks until March 2027
Poland’s Interior Ministry has extended passport checks at its borders with Germany and Lithuania until 30 March 2027. The six-month extension, announced at the start of September, runs from 2 October.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Austria’s Schengen border checks: what 15 September means
Austria’s internal Schengen border controls with Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are notified until 15 September 2026. When it extended them in June, Austria said it had moved from fixed checkpoints to flexible checks across the wider border area.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
France’s Schengen border checks: what 31 October means
France has passport checks at its borders with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain and Italy, notified until 31 October 2026 when this article was published and since renewed to 30 April 2027. The checks are document-only, with no biometrics and no impact on your 90-day allowance.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Germany confirms Schengen checks until March 2027
Germany formally notified the European Commission in August that passport checks at all nine land borders run from 16 September 2026 to 15 March 2027. Two German courts ruled in April that earlier checks breached EU law. Germany is extending anyway.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Five months of EES: mistakes travellers are still making
EES has been fully operational since April 2026. The errors that keep catching travellers out are not technical failures. They are misunderstandings about what the system records, how the 90-day clock runs, and where ETIAS fits in.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Do UK Youth Experience Scheme participants need ETIAS?
The UK and EU are negotiating a Youth Experience Scheme for 18 to 30 year olds. Participants would hold a long-stay permit, not a short-stay visa. EU law exempts long-stay permit holders from ETIAS. Here is what that means in practice, and what remains unresolved.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES September deadline: signals of a last-minute extension
EU Transport Commissioner Tzitzikostas has privately assured the travel industry that EES biometric flexibility will be extended past 6 September, according to reports. No formal decision has been published. Here is what the signals mean, why a formal decision is harder than it sounds, and what September travellers should plan for.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Can the EU suspend your visa-free access to Europe?
The EU updated its rules for suspending visa-free Schengen access in November 2025. The trigger threshold dropped from 50 per cent to 30 per cent, the grounds widened, and the standard suspension sequence grew from 27 to 36 months. For US, UK and Australian travellers the change is largely academic. Here is what it means and who it actually affects.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Schengen stay extension: when 90 days can be extended
EU law allows authorised extensions beyond the 90-day Schengen limit for force majeure, humanitarian and serious personal reasons, and under some bilateral agreements. Since EES went live, those extensions are recorded formally in your digital border file.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Europe in winter 2026: what EES means for December trips
EES biometric checks become fully mandatory at Schengen borders from 7 September, with no pause option remaining. December travel is quieter than summer, queues should be shorter, and ETIAS is not required. Here is what winter trips actually look like.
Read → - Borders4 min read
When will Cyprus join Schengen? What changes for you
The European Commission has given Cyprus a positive Schengen readiness assessment, and the decision now rests with EU governments in the Council. No vote date is set. Here is what changes for your 90-day allowance and EES enrolment, and what stays the same.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Do you need ETIAS for a Schengen layover?
Airside transit at a Schengen airport does not require ETIAS. A connection that takes you through passport control into the Schengen area does. The rule, explained with practical examples for common long-haul routings.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES for road travellers: land border crossings in 2026
EES applies at every Schengen external land border, not just airports. Seven-kilometre queues at the Croatia-Serbia crossing on 1 August showed the pressure peak days put on staffed booths, though AP said EES’s part in them was unclear. Here is how the process works by road.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
One-way ticket to Schengen: what border officers can ask
You are not legally required to show a return ticket to enter Schengen, but the Schengen Borders Code requires proof of means to return. EES, fully operational since April 2026, makes overstays far more detectable without changing the rules at the desk. Here is what to carry and what to expect.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES fingerprint exemption: what if you can't be scanned?
Travellers who cannot give fingerprints because of a physical condition are exempt from that step under EES, and the fingerprint field in their record is marked “not applicable”. Here is what the regulation says, how temporary conditions differ, and how to handle it at the desk.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES and biometric passports: does your passport type matter?
Munich Airport has installed 119 EES self-service kiosks, and travellers without a chipped passport are sent to staffed desks instead. Here is what the difference means in practice for first-time crossings and return trips.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
EU challenges nine countries over Schengen checks
The European Commission formally challenged nine Schengen countries on 2 June 2026, assessing their internal passport controls and recommending they work towards lifting them. Most are still running checks, and Germany has since extended its controls to March 2027.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Passport stolen in Schengen: what it means for EES
Your EES entry is recorded on a file that holds the passport you used at the border. If that passport is stolen mid-trip, your exit on an emergency document has to be linked to the same file, or the entry can stay open. Here is what to do and why a staffed border desk matters.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES queues: data shows wait times doubled in 2026
Average border waits at Frankfurt doubled in July 2026 compared with July 2025, and maximum waits at Amsterdam rose by half, according to a Financial Times and Qsensor study. With August the busiest point of the year and the biometric pause mechanism expiring on 6 September, here is what the figures mean for late-summer travel.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES September deadline: no extension announced yet
The window letting Schengen airports pause EES biometric checks during peak congestion expires on 6 September. As of mid-August, the Commission has not formally extended it. Here is what each outcome means for autumn travel.
Read → - Launch timeline4 min read
ETIAS: EU removes launch target, no date confirmed
The EU’s official ETIAS portal has dropped its “last quarter of 2026” launch window and now names no date. Press reporting points to a revised timeline after officials meet in September. Here is what the current position means for autumn and winter travel plans.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES when you leave: the Schengen departure check explained
EES registers your departure as well as your arrival. The exit check is quick, but your 90-day count runs until EES logs you out, and a crossing where your exit goes unrecorded can create a false overstay flag on your next Schengen entry.
Read → - Borders4 min read
ETIAS and EES: what the combined border check looks like
When ETIAS launches, visa-exempt travellers will face two separate EU requirements: an online ETIAS authorisation before they fly, and an EES biometric registration at the Schengen border. Both checks happen, and this is how they fit together.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES at Greek island airports: what to expect in August
Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Corfu face the same EES biometric registration as any other Schengen entry point, but with smaller terminals and fewer kiosks. The UK exemption Greece announced in April was dropped by mid-May. Here is what the process involves and why first-time registrations take longer at island airports.
Read → - Borders3 min read
Spain checks arrivals from Italy until 7 September 2026
Spain introduced reciprocal border controls on air and sea arrivals from Italy at midnight on 8 August 2026, running until 7 September. Combined with Italy's own checks going the other way, non-EU travellers crossing between the two countries now face document verification on both legs.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES queues: 41 million trips and $45bn at risk, WTTC warns
The World Travel and Tourism Council surveyed 2,512 travellers from the UK, US, Canada and Australia and found that regular three-hour EES queues could deter a third of potential visitors. At that rate, up to 41 million arrivals and $45.4 billion in spending would be at risk.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Norway and Sweden: ferry border checks until November
Norway and Sweden have reintroduced internal Schengen passport checks until 11 November 2026. Norway focuses on ferry ports; Sweden covers all crossings. Here is what the controls involve and what they mean for your EES record and 90-day Schengen count.
Read → - Application process4 min read
Does ETIAS require travel insurance? What the rules say
ETIAS does not require travel insurance. The application form is set by EU Regulation 2018/1240 and asks about identity, passport and security history, not medical coverage. Here is where the confusion comes from and what travellers actually need.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Ceuta crisis: EU backs Spain and rejects Schengen suspension
The Commission ruled out expelling Spain from Schengen and EU interior ministers backed Madrid on 4 August. The zone remains intact, but France has stepped up checks at the Pyrenees, Italy has reintroduced controls on routes to Spain, and Germany plans to extend its land-border checks. Here is what travellers need to know.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Germany extends land border checks beyond 15 September
Germany checks passports at all nine of its land borders until 15 September 2026. Interior Minister Dobrindt has confirmed the controls will run beyond that date, pointing to the Ceuta migrant crisis. Here is what the checks involve and what cross-border travellers should expect.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Travelling on a new passport? EES updates your record
If you renewed your passport after October 2025, your first Schengen crossing on the new document takes longer: the border adds it to your existing EES file and takes a new facial image. Here is what the process involves, why your 90-day allowance is not reset, and what your old EES record still shows.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Italy reinstates Schengen checks with Spain for August
Italy reintroduced border controls at air and sea crossings with Spain from 1 August 2026, triggered by the Ceuta migrant crisis. Non-EU travellers on routes between the two countries should expect document spot checks throughout August.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES confused twins at Romania's border. What went wrong.
A British woman was questioned at Cluj-Napoca airport after EES appeared to mix her up with her identical twin, whose exit from Amsterdam had not been properly recorded. Romanian Border Police said staff had not followed the applicable procedures.
Read → - Application process4 min read
Can you change your travel plans after ETIAS is approved?
ETIAS is not a booking. Once approved, the authorisation travels with your passport for up to three years, not with a specific itinerary. Changing your dates, first entry point or destinations does not require a new application.
Read → - Application process4 min read
Applying for ETIAS on someone else's behalf
EU Regulation 2018/1240 explicitly allows a representative to submit an ETIAS application for another person. Here is how it works, what a Declaration of Representation requires, and the email address rule that often catches families out.
Read → - Borders8 min read
EES records: check and correct your border data
Under EU law, you have the right to see what EES holds about you, request corrections and, in some cases, ask for data to be deleted. After a summer when busy borders could pause biometric registration, knowing how to use those rights matters.
Read → - Borders6 min read
Who is exempt from EES? The full official list
Most non-EU visitors are registered in EES at the Schengen border, but 13 groups sit outside the system. Here is the EU’s full list in its official order, with the law behind each entry and the groups travellers ask about most.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS processing times: how far in advance to apply
Most ETIAS applications will be decided automatically in minutes. EU law sets a 96-hour deadline, including for applications a human reviews, and allows up to about 30 more days if you are asked for more information or an interview. Here is what those timelines mean for when to apply before a trip.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Romania and Bulgaria joined Schengen: EES and ETIAS
Romania and Bulgaria completed their Schengen accession in 2024 and 2025. EES biometric checks now apply at their external borders, days there count toward the 90-day Schengen total, and ETIAS will be required for both countries when the portal opens.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Cyprus, EES and ETIAS: rules most travellers misread
Cyprus is an EU member but not part of the Schengen area. EES does not operate at Larnaca or Paphos airports, days there do not count toward your 90-day Schengen total, and ETIAS will still be required when it launches.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Second homes in Schengen: how EES enforces the 90-day limit
Since the Entry/Exit System went fully operational in April 2026, every short-stay crossing of a Schengen external border is logged automatically against your passport. For British, American and other non-EU nationals with properties in France, Spain or Portugal, the 90-day rule is now checked automatically at the border desk.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES queues at Spain’s holiday airports this summer
Spain has not announced any use of the emergency biometric suspension that Portugal has used when queues build. That means full EES enrolment continues at Tenerife, Palma, Alicante and Malaga this peak season. Here is what first-time Schengen arrivals should expect.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
ETIAS for Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City
None of these four states are part of ETIAS, and no separate authorisation is needed for the micro-state itself. But every route in passes through Schengen territory, so your ETIAS check still applies. Here is how each one works in practice.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES border queues in autumn 2026: an honest forecast
Summer has been EES's hardest period. This autumn, two things change: passenger volumes fall and more travellers arrive already enrolled. Here is what that means for queue times from September onwards, and what first-time visitors should still allow for.
Read → - Borders4 min read
UK and Europe in one trip: ETA, EES and ETIAS
Britain and the Schengen area have entirely separate entry systems. A combined UK-and-Europe trip involves a UK ETA for Britain and EES registration at the Schengen border. Days in the UK do not count toward your 90-day Schengen allowance.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Dover and Eurotunnel EES: cars not fingerprinted this summer
Both Getlink and the Port of Dover confirmed in July 2026 that full EES biometric registration has been deferred for car passengers at Channel crossings. Border officers still create an EES entry record using your passport, but fingerprints and facial scans are not being collected yet.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Gibraltar and EES: what changed on 15 July 2026
A treaty signed between the UK and EU on 14 July moved Schengen border checks for Gibraltar from the land border to its airport. EES checks now operate at Gibraltar Airport, and ETIAS will apply there when it launches.
Read → - Launch timeline4 min read
eu-LISA: when the new ETIAS launch date will be set
People briefed on eu-LISA’s June discussions told the Financial Times a Q4 2026 ETIAS launch was no longer feasible. The agency’s September board meeting is the next milestone for a revised timeline, and here is what that process looks like.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES September deadline: nine countries seek extension
Nine Schengen countries including France, Germany and Italy have written jointly to the European Commission asking that emergency EES biometric flexibility measures be kept alive past their 6 September expiry. The Commission has not yet formally agreed.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS refused: your right to appeal explained
When ETIAS launches, a share of applications will be refused. EU Regulation 2018/1240 sets out your right to appeal, the grounds on which refusal happens, and whether you can reapply. Here is how the process works.
Read → - Borders3 min read
EES and children: the under-12 fingerprint rule explained
Children under 12 do not give fingerprints at the Schengen border under EES, but they still have a facial image taken and their passport data recorded. Here is how the age rules work in practice for families travelling this summer.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES queues summer 2026: impact on trips smaller than feared
A late-June YouGov survey found that despite months of headlines about EES chaos, more than half of British adults who had travelled to Europe in the previous month say the system had no impact on their trip. What the data shows, and why experience varies so much by airport.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS has no fingerprint scan. What the application asks
ETIAS is an online form you complete at home, not a biometric scan at the border. No fingerprints, no face scan, no appointment. Here is what the application form actually collects, who can see that data, and what rights you have over it.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS and a previous visa refusal: what to declare
A past visa refusal from any country is not on its own a ground for refusing ETIAS, and the official form does not ask about it. It does ask about removal orders, convictions and conflict-zone travel. Here is what the form asks, how the assessment works and what to do.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES queue: your rights if you miss a flight or connection
Border waits of up to five hours at peak are causing missed connections at Schengen airports this summer. EU passenger-rights law EC 261 almost certainly does not pay compensation for delays caused by border procedures. Here is what does apply, and how to protect yourself.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES at UK-Europe ferry crossings: what to expect
EES now applies to every ferry crossing from the UK into the Schengen area. On Dover routes the check happens at Dover before you board, without biometrics for car passengers this summer. On Portsmouth, Harwich and Newcastle routes it happens when you arrive at the European port.
Read → - Application process7 min read
What ETIAS will ask about your criminal history
The ETIAS application will ask about a defined list of offences set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/1240. Many common convictions, including drink-driving, minor drug possession and petty theft, are not in scope.
Read → - Borders5 min read
EU rules out EES suspension as summer queues worsen
The European Commission told airlines on 7 July that a full suspension of EES is neither possible nor needed. Officials cited the risk of false overstay records if the system runs unevenly across borders. The only relief still available, pauses of biometric registration of up to six hours at a time, expires in September.
Read → - Borders4 min read
44,000 refused EU entry by EES: the most common reasons
The European Commission told Politico that EES has refused entry to 43,728 people since its October 2025 launch. The biggest cause was travellers who could not justify the purpose of their visit. Here is the full breakdown and what to carry to avoid being turned away.
Read → - Launch timeline4 min read
ETIAS launch may slip to 2027, reports suggest
The Financial Times reported on 7 July that a Q4 2026 ETIAS launch is considered unachievable by people briefed on the matter. No official EU confirmation has followed. The FT’s sources say eu-LISA’s board meets again in September to plan a new timeline.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EU Schengen report 2026: EES statistics and what they mean
The EU’s annual State of Schengen report, published in May 2026, is the first to include substantial EES data: over 66 million entries and exits in the system’s first six months, a fall of over 25% in illegal border crossings in 2025, and ten countries still running internal border controls.
Read → - Application process4 min read
Living in Ireland? ETIAS still applies when you visit Europe
An Irish residence permit does not exempt you from ETIAS when visiting Schengen countries. Neither does a Cyprus permit. Both countries are EU members that sit outside Schengen, and their permits carry no ETIAS exemption for travel elsewhere in Europe.
Read → - Borders8 min read
How to check your remaining Schengen days with EES
The EU’s official tool shows whether your entry is allowed and how many of your 90 days are left, from EES records. Here is what to enter, what the result means, what “cannot currently be calculated” means, and the trips it leaves out.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Airlines call for EES flexibility as summer queues intensify
Europe’s airlines and airports have asked the European Commission to let countries suspend EES checks when queues overflow this summer. Waits have reached five hours at peak times, and the Commission says the rules already have the flexibility needed.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES at Schengen connections: when your layover is an entry
If your itinerary routes you through Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt to another Schengen country, EES registers your arrival at the hub airport, not your final destination. Here is what that means for your 90-day clock, your connection time and ETIAS.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS for business trips to Europe: the key rules
Business travellers from visa-exempt countries will need ETIAS once it launches, just like tourists. Here is what frequent visitors and travel teams need to know.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES full biometric checks return from 7 September
The summer window for pausing EES biometric registration at Schengen borders closes after 6 September 2026. From 7 September, every non-EU traveller faces full fingerprint and facial-image checks with no queue-based suspension allowed.
Read → - Application process4 min read
ETIAS and dual nationality: which passport to use
If you hold more than one passport, ETIAS will be linked to whichever one you travel on. EU, EEA and Swiss passport holders are exempt entirely. With EES already recording your crossings and ETIAS expected in Q4 2026, now is the right time to settle this question.
Read → - Application process4 min read
Getting ready for ETIAS: what to do before it opens
ETIAS applications are not open yet, but there are a few sensible things to check now so the authorisation does not catch you off guard. Passport validity, fee exemptions, your Schengen day count and where to apply when the portal goes live.
Read → - Fees4 min read
Do children need ETIAS? Yes, but it's free for under-18s
Children from visa-exempt countries need their own ETIAS authorisation to enter Europe, with no lower age limit. The application is free for anyone under 18, but a parent or guardian must complete it on the child's behalf.
Read → - Fees3 min read
ETIAS for seniors: the fee is waived, not the requirement
Travellers over 70 pay nothing for ETIAS, but the fee exemption does not mean they skip the application. The requirement to hold a valid authorisation before any Schengen trip applies to everyone.
Read → - Schengen rules3 min read
ETIAS valid for 3 years: what it means for your Schengen trips
An ETIAS authorisation lasts three years from the day it is issued, but it does not change the Schengen 90-day stay limit. Two separate timers run alongside each other.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES on Eurostar: why border control happens before you board
For Eurostar and Le Shuttle passengers, the EES check happens at the juxtaposed controls in London or Folkestone before departure, not on arrival in France or Belgium. Here is what to expect at St Pancras and the Eurotunnel terminal.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES second crossing: what to expect on your return to Europe
If EES has already registered you, your file is kept for three years and a day after your last exit. Returning is faster than first registration, and a new passport is added to your existing file. Here is what actually changes at border control the second time round.
Read → - Borders5 min read
Frontex: EES border queues could last one to two years
Uku Särekanno, Frontex deputy executive director, said in June 2026 that EES will take one to two years to stabilise because first-time biometric enrolment is the hardest part of the rollout. The flexibility window for suspension closes in September with no extension planned.
Read → - Borders4 min read
10-year passport rule for Schengen: check your issue date
Schengen requires your passport to have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive, as well as having 3 months’ validity after departure. UK travellers who renewed before October 2018 may hold documents that look fine but silently fail the test.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
ETIAS for Norway, Switzerland and Iceland explained
All four non-EU Schengen members, including Liechtenstein, require ETIAS for visitors from late 2026. One authorisation covers all 30 countries. Here is why they are included and what it means for your trip.
Read → - Schengen rules5 min read
EES stopped nearly 7,000 Schengen overstayers: what next
The EU Entry/Exit System stopped almost 7,000 travellers at the border for past overstays during its six-month rollout, per the May 2026 State of Schengen report. A logged overstay stays on your file for three years after your last exit, can lead to an entry ban and may affect a future ETIAS application.
Read → - Schengen rules5 min read
Schengen 90 days: what EES means for remote workers in 2026
EES now logs every entry and exit at Schengen’s external borders digitally. The strategies long-stay travellers once relied on no longer work, and an overstay logged now stays on your record when ETIAS launches.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES for Mediterranean cruises: who needs biometrics
EES has been live at every Schengen border since April 2026. Cruise passengers on UK round-trips are usually exempt from EES checks at port calls. Fly-cruise passengers and those boarding in the EU may not be.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Portugal is pausing EES biometric checks; Italy may follow
Portugal is using a temporary EU mechanism to pause biometric registration at busy airports when queues spike, and Italy has been weighing the same. Your 90-day stay clock starts on arrival regardless, and your entry is still recorded.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EU links its border databases: what changes for travellers
On 12 June 2026, the EU activated the European Search Portal and Common Identity Repository, giving border officials a single query across EES, SIS, Eurodac and more. ETIAS will join the same infrastructure when it launches.
Read → - Schengen rules6 min read
Schengen border checks: which countries, until when?
Nine Schengen countries have temporary checks at some of their internal borders. This page tracks which countries, which borders and until when, from the European Commission’s list of notifications, and what a check means for your trip.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Airlines check EES status before boarding: what it means
Carriers bringing passengers into Schengen use an EU web service to check that visa holders still have entries left on their visa. A NOT OK answer usually means no boarding. When ETIAS launches, carriers will also check every visa-exempt traveller’s authorisation.
Read → - Launch timeline4 min read
Can you travel to Europe without ETIAS after launch?
When ETIAS goes live in late 2026 it will not be mandatory at once. A transitional period of at least six months, then a grace period, gives travellers at least a year before it becomes a hard requirement. The two phases explained.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES app: how the Travel to Europe app cuts queues
Frontex’s Travel to Europe app lets you pre-register your passport and face for EES before you fly. It speeds up the border, but it won’t let you skip it, your fingerprints are still taken in person, and it only fully works in Sweden so far.
Read → - Borders4 min read
Greece ends EES exemption for British travellers
Greece said UK visitors would not have to give biometric data after EES became fully operational in April. The European Commission said the rules allow no blanket nationality exemptions, and by mid-May Athens had stepped back. The same EES rules now apply to every nationality at Greek borders.
Read → - Borders4 min read
UK ETA outage June 2026: what went wrong and the lesson
The UK’s ETA portal went down on 3 June, leaving some travellers without boarding approval. The system is back up. But the incident shows exactly why leaving an ETA application to the last minute is a gamble.
Read → - Application process4 min read
How ETIAS assesses your application: checks and timeline
Most ETIAS applications will clear in minutes via automated checks against EU and international databases. Here is what the system screens, what triggers manual review, and why your EES travel history now matters.
Read → - Schengen rules4 min read
Schengen 90/180 rule: the calculation people get wrong
The 90-day limit is a rolling calculation, not a fixed reset that refreshes every six months. EES now records entries and exits at Schengen’s external borders electronically. Here is how to count your remaining days correctly.
Read → - Launch timeline4 min read
ETIAS launch date: where the EU timeline stands for 2026
The EU is still aiming for a last-quarter 2026 start, with a phased rollout before ETIAS becomes mandatory in 2027. Here is the current position and what it means for travellers.
Read → - Borders4 min read
The EU’s Entry/Exit System is now live at every border
EES has been fully operational across Schengen borders since April 2026. Here is what it records, how it differs from ETIAS, and why it clears the way for ETIAS to launch.
Read → - Fees3 min read
ETIAS will cost €20: who pays, who doesn’t, and what it covers
The ETIAS fee is set at €20 per application, up from the long-quoted €7. Under-18s and over-70s pay nothing, and one authorisation covers up to three years of trips.
Read → - Scam watch4 min read
Fake ETIAS websites are already taking money. How to spot them
ETIAS is not open yet, but copycat sites are already charging for it. The simple test that exposes them, the red flags to watch, and what to do if you have paid.
Read → - Borders4 min read
EES border queues in summer 2026: how long to allow
EES has been running at every Schengen border since April, and industry bodies say peak border waits are reaching up to two hours, and longer at some airports. Here is how much extra time to build in this summer.
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Get one email when ETIAS opens
Get one email when ETIAS applications open. No passport details. No payment before launch.