The plan was simple: ETIAS would cost 7 euros and start in 2026. Only one of those things is still true. The start date is still 2026, according to the European Commission. The price is not. In July 2025 the Commission confirmed the fee would rise to 20 euros per application once the system goes live.
What ETIAS actually is
It is not a visa. It is a pre-travel check for people who can normally visit Europe without one: US, UK, Canadian, Australian and dozens of other passport holders. You fill in a form online, pay the fee, and get an authorisation linked to your passport. It is valid for up to three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
It covers 30 European countries: the whole Schengen area plus Cyprus. Ireland stays outside it. If you already have residence in an EU country, you do not need it to go home, but your visiting relatives will.
The fee, and who pays nothing
20 euros per application. That is close to three times the original 7 euros, and the tourism industry complained loudly when the Commission proposed it. The official line: the system costs more to run than expected, and the fee now matches what the US, UK and Australia charge for their own travel authorisations.
Exemptions stay in place. Under 18, over 70, and certain family members of EU citizens do not pay, though they still need the authorisation.
When exactly does it start?
The Commission’s position is still “last quarter of 2026” and its official ETIAS page says the same. The exact date has not been announced, and the EU has promised several months’ notice before applications open. There will be a transition period of at least six months after launch: travellers without an ETIAS will be warned but not turned away, followed by a grace period for first-time applicants. So even after go-live, nobody gets stuck at the border on day one.
That also means every website selling “ETIAS applications now” is lying to you. Applications are not being collected. The only official site is europa.eu/etias. When it opens, the form takes minutes and most people get approval within hours.
What expats should actually do
Nothing yet. Keep your passport valid for at least three more years if you can, because the authorisation dies with the passport. Tell visiting family not to pay third-party sites. Bookmark the official page and wait for the announcement.
The more useful preparation is for the visits themselves. Anyone who has hosted family for three weeks knows the pattern: the house is tidy, the tours are booked, and then everyone discovers they cannot agree on what to watch in the evening. Your German mother-in-law wants the Tagesschau, your cousin wants the football, the kids want their cartoons. Nobody wants to learn that the local streaming catalogue has none of it.
That is the boring reason an IPTV subscription for expats earns its keep. You get the channels from home on the TV you already own, in the country you now live in. One evening of testing beats three weeks of remote-control diplomacy. If you want the practical version, start with how to watch TV from your home country abroad and then try the free 24-hour test before the family arrives.
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