Fake ETIAS sites target Europe-bound travelers

No ETIAS applications yet

Europe-bound travelers may encounter websites claiming they can arrange an ETIAS authorization, but the system is not operating. No travel authorizations are being collected, and visitors cannot submit a legitimate application at this time. The launch is now expected no earlier than sometime in 2027, so anyone offering to secure approval today is selling something that does not exist.

The delay follows problems with Europe’s biometric Entry/Exit System, known as EES. ETIAS had been expected to begin soon after that border-control system arrived, but software failures and lengthy delays have complicated the EES rollout. For now, the introduction of ETIAS remains on hold, and the European entry process has not changed because of it.

Travelers therefore have no ETIAS form to complete before an upcoming trip. The practical step is simply to monitor the official EU site for a future launch announcement. Once the program begins, travelers covered by its rules will need authorization before visiting participating destinations, but applying early is not currently possible.

Fraudulent sellers are already active

The absence of a functioning system has not prevented scammers from building an advance market around it. More than 150 websites are already attempting to sell supposed ETIAS waivers. Some borrow the appearance of the official EU presence or use similar-looking domain names, making a fraudulent page seem credible at first glance.

Other sites create pressure by suggesting that travelers must act immediately. They may also misstate which people need authorization or present incorrect information about how ETIAS works. Because no genuine applications are available, every current offer to obtain a waiver should be treated as fraudulent, regardless of how professional the page appears.

Submitting information through one of these sites can mean handing payment details, personal information or both to bad actors. Travelers should not pay an intermediary, reserve an authorization or enter application data now. When the system eventually opens, the official EU website will provide the direct route for applying.

How the future system works

When launched, ETIAS will govern entry to 30 countries in the Schengen Zone. The participating destinations include France, Germany, Greece, Spain and Switzerland, along with Iceland. Travelers from dozens of places whose citizens currently visit without visas will be covered; that group includes people traveling from the U.S.

ETIAS is an electronic travel authorization rather than a visa. It will permit travel within the covered countries for a combined maximum of 90 days during any period of 180 days. An authorization will remain usable for three years, unless the travel document entered in the application reaches its expiration first.

The planned fee is 20 euros per adult, approximately $22. Applicants who are younger than 18, as well as those older than 70, will be able to apply without paying. Those prices, age rules and validity periods describe the future program; they do not mean applications have started.

Do not confuse it with ETA

ETIAS is different from the electronic travel authorisation already used for visits to the U.K. Most tourists entering the U.K., Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man need that document, known as an ETA. It costs 20 pounds, or roughly $26, and can cover visits lasting as long as six months.

The two systems also cover different geography. ETIAS will apply across its 30 participating continental European destinations and Iceland, while neither the U.K. nor Ireland will be included. Someone visiting the U.K. should apply for the existing ETA when required, but that application does not provide ETIAS clearance.

For travelers planning multi-country trips, the distinction matters: the ETA is a current entry requirement for the places it covers, while ETIAS remains a future authorization. Until the official EU channel begins accepting requests, no traveler can legitimately buy an ETIAS waiver.