Published on : 13 Oct 2026
Published: October 13, 2026 — Tuesday (ETIAS status: NOT operational · Official EU statement: “The system is currently not in operation” · Frontex confirmed 100+ fake sites · Sources: Frontex official, European Commission, Travel Daily News, ABTA — all verified October 2026)
If you have typed “apply ETIAS” into a search engine in the last few months, there is a meaningful chance the first link you saw was a scam.
Frontex — the European Union’s Border and Coast Guard Agency — has identified and publicly confirmed more than 100 unofficial websites posing as official ETIAS application portals. These sites are charging travellers anywhere from €50 to €178 for an application to a system that does not yet exist, has never accepted a single legitimate application, and cannot issue any form of valid travel authorisation to Europe. The fee they are collecting disappears. The “application” they process does nothing. The “approval” they send by email is worthless.
Francois Laruelle, Director of the ETIAS Central Unit Division at Frontex, has warned publicly: “We are aware of several sites that claim to already accept ETIAS applications. Travellers should be very cautious about those websites, as it is not currently possible to apply for an official ETIAS travel authorisation since the system is not operational yet.”
This situation has been building throughout 2026, as millions of US, UK, Australian, and Canadian travellers have been reading articles — including earlier coverage on this site — predicting an ETIAS launch in the last quarter of 2026. That launch did not happen. In July 2026, the EU quietly removed the “last quarter of 2026” target date from the official ETIAS website. The page now says only that the system is “currently not in operation.” A new realistic launch date — most likely sometime in 2027 — has not yet been officially confirmed.
This article exists to give you three things: a confirmed current ETIAS status, a complete guide to identifying and avoiding the fake sites, and everything you need to know about what ETIAS actually is and when it will actually affect your European travel plans.
Published: October 13, 2026 ETIAS current status: ❌ NOT OPERATIONAL — zero applications being accepted anywhere Official EU confirmation: travel-europe.europa.eu/etias states: “ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorizations are collected at this point” Previous launch target: Last quarter of 2026 — REMOVED from official EU site in July 2026 New launch date: NOT CONFIRMED — 2027 widely expected — no official date set Fake sites confirmed by Frontex: 100+ identified — growing Fake site fees: €50–€178 per person — for an application that DOES NOT EXIST Official fee when ETIAS launches: €7 per person (under 18 and over 70: free) — NOT €50, NOT €78, NOT €178 Official ONLY application portal (future): travel-europe.europa.eu/etias — ONLY this domain + official ETIAS mobile app (not yet launched) Who will need ETIAS (when it launches): All visa-exempt non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss nationals — this includes 🇺🇸 US · 🇬🇧 UK · 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇨🇦 Canada · 🇳🇿 New Zealand Who does NOT need ETIAS: EU citizens · EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) · Switzerland · existing EU visa or residence permit holders ETIAS vs EES — NOT the same: EES (Entry/Exit System) launched April 2026 — it is live and operational. ETIAS is different and separate — NOT yet launched. Current Europe entry for UK/US/AU/CA: No change — passport only — no ETIAS, no pre-registration required Frontex official warning: frontex.europa.eu — search “ETIAS unofficial websites” Report UK scam sites: Action Fraud — actionfraud.police.uk — 0300 123 2040 Report EU scam sites: European Consumer Centre — eccnetwork.net
Do not apply for ETIAS today. Do not apply for ETIAS tomorrow. Do not apply for ETIAS at any website that asks you to apply and pay right now.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System — ETIAS — has not launched. It is not operational. Not a single legitimate ETIAS application has been accepted by the EU or any of the 30 countries that will use the system. The system’s infrastructure is still being tested and finalised. The official application portal has not been opened. The official ETIAS mobile app has not been released.
The only official source of ETIAS information is the European Commission’s dedicated ETIAS page at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. That page says, plainly: “ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorizations are collected at this point.”
There is no exception to this. There is no early access scheme. There is no priority registration. There is no “pre-approval” programme. Any website claiming otherwise is not telling the truth, and any payment made to such a website is money wasted at best, and at worst a theft of both money and personal passport data.
What happened to the Q4 2026 launch date?
ETIAS was originally projected to launch in 2022. It moved to 2023. Then 2024. Then 2025. In March 2025, the European Council announced a revised target of the last quarter of 2026. That target was adopted into reporting across travel media globally, including coverage on this site.
In July 2026, that target was quietly removed. The official EU ETIAS page was updated to remove all specific launch date references. Travel industry insiders and MEP communications since July 2026 point to spring or summer 2027 as the new realistic window — but the EU has not confirmed a specific date, and will not confirm one until the eu-LISA (EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems) management board formally approves a readiness date.
Why has ETIAS been delayed so many times?
The principal reason for the 2026 delay is the sequencing of the EU’s two new border systems. The Entry/Exit System (EES) — which captures biometric fingerprints and facial images of all non-EU travellers crossing Schengen borders — launched in April 2026 and is now operational across all Schengen border points. The EU took the decision to ensure EES was fully operational and stable before activating ETIAS, recognising that running both new systems simultaneously in their initial period would create excessive pressure on border infrastructure.
EES is now live. The infrastructure it has built is partially shared with ETIAS. ETIAS is effectively waiting for EES to prove itself at scale before the second system activates alongside it.
Frontex confirmed publicly that it has identified more than 100 unofficial websites claiming to offer ETIAS services. The agency noted plainly: “While some of these websites are run by legitimate businesses, others may be less trustworthy.”
The “legitimate businesses” Frontex is being careful to acknowledge are information sites and travel agencies that provide ETIAS information and intend to offer legitimate application assistance when the system goes live. These are not inherently fraudulent — but they are not authorised application portals and cannot process a valid ETIAS today.
The genuinely fraudulent sites are a different category entirely. They fall into several distinct models:
Model 1 — Full payment fraud:
The site presents as an official ETIAS application portal with a government-style design, official-looking logos, and a payment form. The traveller completes a detailed form including passport number, date of birth, travel dates, and contact details, pays a fee of €50–€178, and receives a confirmation email. The confirmation email is fabricated. No application has been submitted to any EU authority. The payment disappears. The personal data collected may be sold to other fraudsters or used for identity theft.
Model 2 — Overcharging on future legitimate intent:
Some sites intend to eventually provide legitimate assistance with ETIAS applications — in the same way that third-party services exist for the US ESTA, UK ETA, and Australia ETA — charging a convenience fee on top of the official government fee. These sites sometimes begin accepting registrations and collecting money before the system launches, intending to submit applications when the system opens. This model creates significant risk: you have paid money to a third party who may or may not still exist when ETIAS actually launches, for an application that will eventually need to be resubmitted through the official portal anyway.
Model 3 — Data harvesting:
Some sites charge a nominal “processing fee” of €5–€10 — low enough that victims may not report it — but the primary motivation is collecting passport numbers, names, dates of birth, addresses, and email addresses. This data is sold to identity theft operations.
The fake urgency tactics:
Fraudulent ETIAS sites consistently use pressure tactics to drive immediate action. Common examples include countdown timers showing “applications close in 48 hours,” banners stating “limited pre-registration spaces available,” warnings that “applying early secures your ETIAS faster,” and emails to previously collected addresses saying “your ETIAS pre-registration is about to expire.” All of these are fabricated. ETIAS has no pre-registration. There are no limited spaces. There is no urgency that benefits you.
The search engine advertising problem:
Multiple sources including Tesco Insurance’s travel guides and Travel Daily News confirm that scam ETIAS sites are buying paid advertising on Google and other search engines to appear above organic results. When a traveller searches “apply ETIAS” or “ETIAS application UK,” the first results may be paid advertisements for fraudulent sites that appear before the official EU page. Google Shopping results and Featured Snippets have also been manipulated. The EU has reported this advertising pattern to platform operators but the fraudulent ads continue to appear.
You can identify a fraudulent ETIAS site quickly using these checks:
Check 1 — Domain name:
The official ETIAS application portal will ONLY ever be at a domain ending in .europa.eu — specifically travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. Any domain that does not end in .europa.eu is not official. Examples of fake domain patterns to recognise immediately: etias.com, etias-online.eu, etias-visa.org, apply-etias.com, etias-application.uk, getmyetias.org, official-etias.eu. None of these are EU government sites. The European Commission advises: only websites ending in .europa.eu are official EU portals.
Check 2 — Is the system open?
As of October 13, 2026, ETIAS is not open. If a site claims to accept applications and asks for payment today, it is not legitimate. The official EU site says the system is not in operation. No exceptions.
Check 3 — The fee:
The official ETIAS fee, once the system launches, will be €7 per person (approximately £6 / AUD 11 / USD 8 / CAD 10). Adults aged 18–70 will pay €7. Under 18 and over 70 will be exempt from the fee. Any site charging more than €7 — or any fee at all for a “pre-registration” before launch — is not the official system.
Check 4 — “Fast-track,” “priority,” or “guaranteed approval”:
The ETIAS system, when it launches, will be a fully automated process. All applications go through the same automated screening against EU security databases. There is no priority lane, no fast-track option, no guaranteed approval scheme, and no human agent who can accelerate your application. Any site offering these services for an additional fee is fraudulent.
Check 5 — The mobile app:
The EU has confirmed that an official ETIAS mobile app will be available alongside the web portal when the system launches. That app has not been released. Any “ETIAS app” currently available on the App Store or Google Play is not official.
For readers who are confused about what ETIAS actually is — particularly those who may have mixed it up with EES, which did launch in April 2026 — this is the complete explanation.
ETIAS is not a visa.
It is a pre-travel authorisation — a digital approval required before boarding a flight or crossing a land or sea border into the EU’s Schengen Area. It is modelled on the US ESTA, which US visitors to the UK and EU are already familiar with, and the UK’s own ETA, which EU citizens have been required to obtain since April 2026 for UK travel.
ETIAS is separate from EES.
The Entry/Exit System (EES), which launched in April 2026, captures biometric data — fingerprints and facial images — at Schengen border crossing points. EES operates at the border, when you arrive. ETIAS operates before you travel, when you book. They are two different systems with two different purposes. EES is live now and applies to you when crossing into Europe. ETIAS is not live yet and does not currently require anything from you.
Who will need ETIAS when it launches:
ETIAS will apply to all nationals of visa-exempt countries who want to travel to Schengen Area countries. The Schengen Area covers 29 countries including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, and 19 others.
Nationals who will need ETIAS include:
Nationals who will NOT need ETIAS:
What ETIAS will cost:
€7 per person — approximately £6 / AUD 11 / USD 8 / CAD 10. Under 18 and over 70: free. The fee is paid once and the authorisation is valid for 3 years (or until your passport expires, whichever comes first). One ETIAS covers unlimited trips to any Schengen country within the validity period.
How long ETIAS will take:
The EU has indicated that most ETIAS applications will be automatically approved within minutes. Some applications will require additional manual review, which can take up to 4 days. In rare cases, further information may be requested, extending the timeline to up to 30 days. The EU advises applying at least 72 hours before travel but given the vast majority of applications process within minutes, this is very conservative advice.
Cruise passengers:
ETIAS will apply to cruise passengers who disembark at Schengen ports. A passenger on a cruise from Southampton calling at Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Barcelona will need a valid ETIAS if they go ashore at Amsterdam or Barcelona (Schengen). Portugal’s Lisbon is also Schengen. Southampton is not Schengen (UK). This is an important detail for Australian, UK, Canadian, and American cruise passengers planning Mediterranean, Northern Europe, or Baltic itineraries.
If you have already paid a fraudulent ETIAS website, take the following steps immediately:
Step 1 — Report to your bank or card provider:
Contact your bank or credit card provider immediately and report the payment as fraudulent. UK banks are obligated under the Financial Conduct Authority’s authorised push payment fraud rules to investigate and in many cases refund fraudulent payments. Australian banks follow similar frameworks. If you paid by credit card, initiate a chargeback.
Step 2 — Report to Action Fraud (UK) or your national fraud reporting agency:
UK: Action Fraud — actionfraud.police.uk — phone 0300 123 2040. This is the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, operated by the City of London Police.
Australia: Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) — cyber.gov.au — and Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au).
United States: FTC — reportfraud.ftc.gov — and IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Centre) — ic3.gov.
Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre — antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
Step 3 — Monitor your identity:
If you provided your passport number, date of birth, home address, and email address to the fraudulent site, consider placing a fraud alert with your credit reference agencies. UK: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion. Australian: Equifax, Experian, illion. US: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. This alerts lenders to take additional verification steps before approving credit in your name.
Step 4 — Report the site to the relevant authority:
UK: Report the site to the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) via report.ncsc.gov.uk or to ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) if the site appears to be travel-industry-adjacent. EU: Report to your national consumer protection authority or to the European Consumer Centre at eccnetwork.net.
For UK, US, Australian, and Canadian travellers planning European travel between now and whenever ETIAS launches:
You do not need ETIAS. It does not exist yet.
You do need to register with EES. The Entry/Exit System launched in April 2026 and is operational at all Schengen border crossing points. Unlike ETIAS, EES is not applied before travel — it is a registration system at the border itself. Your fingerprints and a facial image are captured when you enter the Schengen Area for the first time. This happens at the passport control desk and takes approximately 1–2 additional minutes compared to the previous stamp-and-go process. You do not apply for EES in advance and you do not pay for it.
You do not need anything additional for France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands or any other Schengen country beyond your valid passport, proof of sufficient funds, proof of accommodation, and your return travel booking — exactly as has always been the case.
If you are British entering the EU: Post-Brexit, UK nationals enter the Schengen Area as third-country nationals — the 90-day in any 180-day rule applies. EES now digitally tracks this rather than using passport stamps. UK passport holders are still entitled to 90 days visa-free per 180-day period across the Schengen Area combined.
There is one authoritative source for ETIAS status updates: the European Commission’s official ETIAS information page.
Bookmark this page: travel-europe.europa.eu/etias
This is the only page you should consult for ETIAS status. It is maintained by the European Commission and is updated when the EU has official news to communicate. When ETIAS is ready to launch, this page will announce it. When applications open, the link to the official application portal will be on this page. At no other URL.
Do not bookmark any other site as your ETIAS source. Do not follow any social media account claiming to provide ETIAS updates unless it directs you back to the europa.eu domain. Do not pay anything for ETIAS until the official EU page says the system is open.
| What a real ETIAS site will look like (when launched) | What fake sites look like RIGHT NOW |
|---|---|
| Domain: travel-europe.europa.eu/etias | etias-visa.org · apply-etias.com · getmyetias.org · any non-.europa.eu domain |
| Fee: €7 (under 18 + over 70: free) | €50, €60, €78, €99, €129, €178 |
| Status: Opens when officially announced | Claims to be “open now” or “pre-registration available” |
| Approval: Automated — minutes | “Priority processing” · “Fast-track” · “Guaranteed approval” |
| Mobile app: Official app (not yet released) | Unofficial ETIAS apps on App Store / Google Play |
| No urgency | Countdown timers · “Limited spaces” · “Apply before deadline” |
| Country | Fraud Reporting | Consumer Protection |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 UK | actionfraud.police.uk · 0300 123 2040 | ncsc.gov.uk/report |
| 🇺🇸 USA | reportfraud.ftc.gov · ic3.gov | FTC Consumer Protection |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | scamwatch.gov.au | cyber.gov.au |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca | Competition Bureau Canada |
| 🌍 Official ETIAS page | travel-europe.europa.eu/etias | Only legitimate ETIAS source |
| 🌍 Frontex ETIAS warning | frontex.europa.eu | Search “ETIAS unofficial websites” |
| 🌍 EU Consumer Centre | eccnetwork.net | Report fraudulent EU-related sites |
| 🇬🇧 ABTA (UK travel) | abta.com | UK travel industry regulator |
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Posted By : Vinay
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is based on information available at the time of publication. Travel advisories, airline schedules, airport operations, visa requirements, government regulations, and other travel-related information are subject to change without prior notice. While Travel Tourister makes reasonable efforts to verify information using official announcements, government publications, airline and airport communications, and other reliable sources, we cannot guarantee that all information remains complete, accurate, or up to date at all times. Readers should independently verify any information that may affect their travel plans with the relevant airline, airport authority, government agency, embassy, or other official source before making travel, financial, or other decisions. Travel Tourister shall not be liable for any direct or indirect loss, inconvenience, or damages arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained in this article. Nothing in this publication constitutes legal, immigration, financial, or professional travel advice. If you believe any information in this article is inaccurate or outdated, please contact our editorial team. We review all credible correction requests promptly and update our content whenever appropriate.
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