ETIAS launch may slip to 2027, reports suggest

Reports published on 7 July suggest ETIAS will not launch in the final quarter of 2026. The Financial Times, citing three people briefed on the matter, said eu-LISA had acknowledged that launching by the end of this year was “no longer feasible,” Travel Weekly reported, linking the likely delay to the chaotic rollout of the EES border system. As of 7 July, the EU’s official ETIAS portal still said operations would start in the last quarter of 2026. Neither the Commission nor eu-LISA has confirmed a delay.

What the reporting says

An eu-LISA spokesperson confirmed to the FT that ETIAS’s entry into operation was discussed at the agency’s board on 17 June, adding that there had been no further developments since, Open Jaw reported. According to the FT’s sources, the board is due to meet again in September to plan a new timeline. Open Jaw and Travel Market Report picked up the story on the same day, both reporting that a 2027 launch now looks more likely than a 2026 one.

The official line has not moved. A Commission spokesperson told the FT that preparations for the launch “are ongoing”, and an eu-LISA spokesperson told Travel Weekly that the proposed entry into operation remained the last quarter of 2026, with the exact date to be proposed by the Commission. UK travel association ABTA said it noted the FT report but that there had not yet been any official confirmation of a delay.

If the FT’s sources are right, the September board meeting is the next point at which a revised plan could emerge. Until then, this remains credible reporting from well-placed sources, not a confirmed change of plan. This article will be updated if an official statement follows.

Why EES is central to the delay

ETIAS was always designed to follow the Entry/Exit System (EES), because ETIAS authorisation decisions cross-reference EES border records. EES went fully live on 10 April 2026, removing the main technical dependency. The problem is that EES has struggled under summer volumes. In a joint letter at the start of July, European airports and airlines warned that EES was causing waits of up to five hours, AFP reported, and they have called for urgent changes to how the system operates. Launching a second major system on top of one still bedding in is the risk the EU appears to be backing away from for now.

Has the EU officially changed the timeline?

No. The official travel-europe.europa.eu/etias website still states Q4 2026, and no Commission spokesperson has issued a revision. The previous milestone, EU Home Affairs Ministers endorsing a Q4 2026 target in March 2025, has not been walked back in any official channel. Until eu-LISA or the Commission publishes a formal update, treat 2026 as the stated plan and 2027 as what press reporting now points to.

Our ETIAS status page tracks the official position and will reflect any formal announcement.

What this means for your travel plans

In practical terms, nothing changes today. No ETIAS application can be made anywhere yet, and no action is required until the official portal opens. A delay into 2027 simply pushes that moment back. The fee (€20 per adult, free for under-18s and over-70s), the three-year validity and the 90-day stay limit are all set in legislation and will not change because of a launch slip.

The phased rollout model also remains the plan. When ETIAS does launch, Article 83 of the ETIAS regulation makes it optional for the first six months, with carriers told to let everyone board. A six-month grace period follows, in which ETIAS is required but travellers crossing for the first time since the optional period ended can still be let in without one. The Commission can extend both. A 2027 launch therefore pushes the full mandatory date further out too. The transitional grace period explainer sets out how that phasing works in practice.

Does a delay affect the fake sites already operating?

Yes, and not in a good way. As far back as June 2024, Frontex said it had identified over 100 unofficial websites providing information on ETIAS, and warned that some mimic official sites. A longer wait before the real system opens extends the window during which misleading sites can catch travellers out. The core rule holds whatever the launch date: no legitimate ETIAS application is possible until the official EU portal opens. Any site asking for money today is not operating legitimately. The full guide to identifying and reporting suspect sites is on the ETIAS scams page.