ETIAS for seniors: the fee is waived, not the requirement

Travellers aged 70 or over will not pay the €20 ETIAS fee. The exemption is written into the EU regulation that created the system and applies to every eligible nationality. But the waiver covers the cost. It does not exempt over-70s from the authorisation itself. A 72-year-old American visiting Rome still needs a valid ETIAS before boarding, just as a 45-year-old American does. The difference is the older traveller pays nothing.

How the fee exemption works in practice

When applications open in 2027via the official EU website or the official ETIAS mobile app, the process for over-70s is identical to everyone else’s. You enter your passport details, answer standard background questions about criminal history and previous travel, and reach the payment screen. At that point the system reads the date of birth on your passport. If you are 70 or over, the fee is waived automatically. No card charge is taken. Your ETIAS authorisation arrives by email in exactly the same way as any other applicant’s.

The age is assessed at the moment you submit the application, not when you travel. Apply at 69, and you pay €20. If you turn 72 before your flight, you still paid at the point of submission. There is no refund mechanism once the fee has been charged.

Passport expiry limits how long the authorisation lasts

ETIAS is tied to the specific passport used at application. It is valid for three years from issue, or until that passport expires, whichever comes first. For older travellers whose passports have fewer than three years remaining, this is worth planning around. An Australian with a passport expiring in fourteen months receives an ETIAS covering those fourteen months. When the passport is renewed, a new ETIAS application is needed. Because the traveller is over 70, that new application is also free.

For UK passport holders, there is a separate issue worth checking before any Schengen trip. EU border rules require your passport to have been issued less than ten years before the day you arrive. Some documents renewed before October 2018 had extra months added to their validity, and Schengen rules do not count those bonus months. A passport that looks valid on its face may already fall outside the ten-year limit. The ETIAS and passport expiry guide explains how to check whether your document will be accepted.

Can a family member fill it in on your behalf?

Yes, in the practical sense. For minors, a parent or guardian officially submits the application. For adults, the application must be in the traveller’s own name, but there is nothing to stop a family member or travel agent sitting alongside and helping fill in the form. The result is still your authorisation, linked to your passport, and the decision comes to an email address of your choice. If you do not have an email account, setting one up before applications open is the only real preparation needed right now.

No action needed until applications open

ETIAS applications are not yet open, and no legitimate website can process one on anyone’s behalf today. Any site charging for ETIAS right now is fraudulent. The ETIAS status page has the latest position on when the portal will open.

When applications do open, apply weeks before you travel rather than the day before. Most decisions clear in minutes. A small number require up to 30 days if additional information is requested. Age does not affect how quickly ETIAS is issued, but leaving it late removes any margin if your application goes to manual review. The ETIAS requirements guide covers what information you will need to have ready.