TORONTO — Travellers to Europe could get a reprieve with a reported postponement for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).
The news comes as the Entry/Exit System (EES) continues to cause widespread hours-long delays at some European airports, and as industry groups call for solutions to the EES chaos.
As reported yesterday, the Canadian government just updated its Entry & Exit Requirements with the ETIAS heads up for more than two dozen European countries at Travel.gc.ca. ETIAS is officially scheduled to begin operations between September and December 2026.
The ETIAS requires qualifying travellers from some 60 visa-exempt countries, including Canada, to apply for an entry permit in advance of their trip, and pay 7 EUR. The permit will be valid for three years.
The EES is the back-end of Europe’s new border control system, and the ETIAS is the front-end. The ETIAS – which has experienced years of delays already – was always pegged to launch six months or more after the EES.
Now word comes that the launch of ETIAS may be postponed until 2027.
The Financial Times reported today that EU-LISA (i.e. the EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice) says launching ETIAS by the end of 2026 is no longer feasible, according to insiders briefed on the matter.
According to FT, sources said EU-LISA’s management board met in mid-June to discuss a postponement, and will meet again in September to confirm the new timeline.
One source said the postponement isn’t likely to be long, potentially another quarter or another month.
Another source disagreed, calling it “illusory” that ETIAS could get off the ground in 2026.
“WE HAVE REACHED A CRITICAL POINT”
Europe’s EES, which initially debuted in October 2025 with a six-month rollout that was official in April 2026, is already causing no small amount of hassle.
As reported last week, border control wait times have skyrocketed as Europe’s airports grapple with the EES – and that has industry groups calling on the European Commission for a solution, fast, for the busy summer months.
Since its rollout the EES has seen border control slowdowns at airports across the continent. With wait times during peak traffic periods at some airports hitting upwards of 5 hours, “we have reached a critical point,” said Airports Council International (ACI) Europe in a July 1 letter to EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
The WTTC is also calling out EES for disrupting travel. If the EES issues aren’t addressed, says the WTTC, Europe could be at a “clear disadvantage” compared to other global destinations offering faster, more seamless entry processes.
Reports indicate that European Commission’s Magnus Brunner, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, will meet with industry groups today, July 7, for discussions. Brunner said in a July 3 letter that the EC will “make additional efforts to help those member states that still encounter issues.”
The list of European countries that will require the ETIAS permit and fee from travellers includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
