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

Travellers over 70 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

No official start date has been announced; press reporting points to 2027. When applications do open, via the official EU website or the official ETIAS mobile app, the process for over-70s is identical to everyone else’s. You enter your personal and passport details and answer the standard questions, including about criminal convictions and any past travel to war or conflict zones. The fee is then waived for anyone over 70. Your decision arrives by email in exactly the same way as any other applicant’s.

The age that counts is your age when you apply, not when you travel: the regulation waives the fee for applicants above 70 “at the time of the application”. Apply at 69, and you pay €20, even if you turn 70 before your flight. The official ETIAS FAQ says the application fee is non-refundable.

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. Schengen rules require your passport to have been issued less than ten years before the day you arrive, and to expire at least three months after the day you plan to leave. GOV.UK warns that if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it might have a date of issue more than ten years ago, which makes it invalid for entry to the Schengen area even if the expiry date is still some way off. 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. The official ETIAS FAQ says another person, such as a friend or family member, or a commercial intermediary such as a travel agency, can apply on your behalf if you have authorised them. You both sign a declaration of representation, and the person submitting gives their own name, contact details and relationship to you. For minors, a parent or guardian has to submit the application. Either way, the result is your authorisation, linked to your passport. Use an email address you can personally access, because the EU uses it for all communication about the authorisation. 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

The official ETIAS site says ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are being collected, so no website can process one on anyone’s behalf today. Any site taking payment for an ETIAS application right now is not submitting one. 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. The EU says most applicants will receive a decision within minutes, but some cases can take up to 30 days if additional information or an interview 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.