Germany Travel: Clarifying Essentials on EES and ETIAS Requirements for Visitors
New Travel Regulations Approach in EU: EES and ETIAS
The European Union (EU) is set to introduce two new travel systems aimed at enhancing security and border management. The Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) are scheduled to roll out in the coming years.
Starting from October 12, 2025, the EES will gradually be implemented across the EU, with a phased introduction lasting about six months. The goal is to have full operational capacity by April 10, 2026. During this period, non-EU citizens who are residents of an EU/Schengen zone country with a long-stay visa or a residency permit are not covered by EES and do not have to complete pre-registration or provide biometrics.
The EES system digitizes enforcement of the 90-day rule, replacing manual passport stamping, and includes an enhanced biometric passport check. It's important to note that second-home owners who have a visa for extended stays but are not residents of the country where their property is located are also exempt from EES.
As for ETIAS, it's an online visa waiver required for tourists and other visitors into the EU/Schengen zone. The system will serve as a pre-screening tool to enhance security and border management. It's scheduled to start in the final quarter of 2026, with a six-month phased introduction. During this 'education phase', people will still be allowed into the EU without ETIAS.
To apply for ETIAS, travellers will need to go online in advance of their trip, fill in a form, and pay a €20 fee to receive the ETIAS travel authorisation. The authorisation is valid for 3 years or until the traveler's passport expires. It's essential to note that citizens of EU, EEA, or Schengen zone countries are exempt from ETIAS requirements.
Visa-holders are exempt from EES pre-registration, with the exception of those who hold the short-stay Schengen visa. Once registration is completed, the details do not need to be re-entered until a new passport is issued. Each country will choose which ports/airports/stations to enforce EES during the introduction phase, but they must have a certain percentage of entry points using the system.
It's important to be aware that the ETIAS website is not yet up and running, and any website claiming to process ETIAS applications is a scam. Citizens of countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia, who benefit from up to 90 days of visa-free travel into the EU/Schengen zone, are not exempt from EES. There is no fee for EES, but ETIAS has a cost.
In summary, as of August 2025, no ETIAS applications or actions are required yet. The EU expects to announce the exact launch date several months before the last-quarter 2026 start. The implementation delay from earlier targets is due to the prerequisite full deployment of the EES system and related legislative approvals.
[1] European Commission - Entry/Exit System (EES) [2] European Commission - European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) [3] European Parliament - Regulation (EU) 2018/1846 on the establishment of an Entry/Exit System [4] European Parliament - Regulation (EU) 2018/1431 on the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) [5] European Parliament - Press release - ETIAS: European Parliament approves new travel authorisation system
The introduction of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), ambitiously scheduled for the final quarter of 2026, will require travelers to complete an online application, pay a €20 fee, and obtain travel authorization to enter the EU/Schengen zone. In contrast, second-home owners who have a visa for extended stays but are not residents of the country where their property is located will not be subject to the EES system, focusing on the digitization of visa enforcement and biometric passport checks.
