ETIAS for Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City

None of these four states are part of ETIAS. Their own nationals are exempt, and there is no separate travel authorisation for the micro-state itself. The catch: to reach any of them, you first cross into a Schengen country. Every road into Andorra runs through Spain or France. Monaco sits within France’s external border perimeter. San Marino and Vatican City are enclosed within Italy. ETIAS applies at those Schengen crossings, not at the micro-state border.

Why these states sit outside ETIAS

ETIAS is a pre-travel authorisation for the Schengen zone. Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are not Schengen members. EU Regulation 2018/1240, the law that created ETIAS, explicitly exempts nationals of these four states from the requirement, placing them in the same category as EU citizens for entry purposes.

That exemption runs one direction only. A British, American, Australian or other visa-exempt passport holder who visits any of these states still needs ETIAS for the Schengen crossing that brings them there. One authorisation covers the whole trip. Nothing extra is required at the micro-state itself.

Andorra: the one genuine external Schengen border

Andorra is a mountain principality between Spain and France with no airport and no seaport. Every visitor comes by road through a staffed Schengen external border crossing on either the Spanish or French side. Your EES biometric enrolment happens at the Schengen airport when you first land (Barcelona, Toulouse, or wherever you fly in). After that, a separate crossing into Andorra registers as an exit from the Schengen area.

The practical consequence that matters most for trip planning: because Andorra is outside Schengen, days spent there do not count toward your 90-day Schengen allowance. A week in Barcelona, three days in Andorra and another week in Madrid uses fourteen Schengen days, not seventeen. This has always been the rule and continues under the digital EES tracking system.

Andorra draws a lot of UK visitors for skiing and duty-free shopping. The ETIAS check, when it eventually applies, will happen when you enter Spain or France, not at the Andorran border post.

Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City: inside the perimeter

These three are in a different position. Monaco is managed through France’s external border infrastructure under a longstanding bilateral arrangement, meaning there is no Schengen external border between Nice and Monaco. San Marino is entirely surrounded by Italy with no active external border checkpoints at the approaches. Vatican City is sovereign territory inside Rome, with no border crossing at all.

In practice: there is no EES exit event when you travel from France into Monaco, drive from the Adriatic coast into San Marino, or walk through a Vatican gate in Rome. Your Schengen entry was registered at your first port of arrival (Nice airport, Rome Fiumicino, or equivalent) and that is where biometric enrolment takes place. Days in Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City count against your 90-day Schengen allowance just as days in France or Italy do.

What EES means for a trip that includes a micro-state

The Entry/Exit System, fully operational since 10 April 2026, records every Schengen border crossing electronically. Biometrics are taken on first entry; subsequent visits within three years move faster because your enrolment already exists in the system.

For trips that include a micro-state, the EES picture is straightforward. One enrolment at the Schengen port of entry covers the trip. A visit to Monaco or Vatican City creates no additional EES event. A side trip to Andorra does register as a Schengen exit and re-entry because Andorra genuinely sits outside the area, but your ETIAS authorisation and EES enrolment both remain valid on the return crossing into Spain or France.

What should you do now?

No action is required yet. Applications are not open. Travellers heading to Spain, France or Italy this year, whether or not the itinerary includes Andorra, Monaco or San Marino, need only a valid passport to cross into the Schengen zone. EES biometric enrolment happens automatically at the first external border crossing. When ETIAS does launch, one application will cover the whole trip, including any side visits to micro-states.

The current working assumption is a 2027 launch, with a revised timeline expected from the EU after the eu-LISA board meeting in autumn 2026. The ETIAS status page carries the latest official position.