The upcoming European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for travellers heading to European destinations continues to be delayed. The launch date is now slated for 2024.

EU authorities have already pushed back the launch of the planned digital travel permit several times over the past few years.

The ETIAS is an online visa waiver, similar to the ESTA registration that must be done when travelling to the United States. UK citizens will need one in the near future to go on holiday to any of 27 different European countries.

Brits can currently visit any country in Europe’s Schengen Area using just a UK passport. Visas are not needed for holidays or short-term business trips. These visa-free benefits also apply to citizens of various other countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia, among others.

When the ETIAS is launched, it will not change this visa-free status. However, to enjoy visa-free travel, British passport holders will need to sign up to the platform online.

Although it has been widely reported that the ETIAS is some sort of retribution from the EU for Brexit, this is categorically not true. Nationals of all non-EU countries will also need to get the new electronic visa waiver. For example, Americans will also have to fill out an ETIAS Application before visiting countries like France and Spain.

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The UK is also planning to build its own electronic travel authorisation system for visa-exempt foreign visitors.

However, it is true that if the UK were still in the EU, Brits would not need ETIAS. Citizens of EU member states can still travel freely throughout the Schengen Area without needing to authorise their trip.

Unfortunately, since leaving the EU, the UK is no longer entitled to this benefit and must follow the same travel rules as any other non-EU nation.

The ETIAS platform was previously planned to come online in 2022, but this deadline has been pushed back on multiple occasions. It has previously been slated for launch in 2022, May 2023, and November 2023. Currently, the launch date is said to be some time in 2024.

Anitta Hipper, the EU Commission’s Spokesperson for Home Affairs, Migration and Internal Security gave a statement saying “The exact date for the ETIAS go-live will be communicated as soon as it is available.”

Previous delays have come from a number of factors.

At one point, there were concerns that certain countries in the Schengen region had not yet integrated the necessary technology at their borders or finished training staff on how to apply the new regulations.

There is also the ongoing development of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES). The ETIAS will depend on the EES being active and functioning. The EES has also had its launch date pushed back several times.

No explicit reason has been given for the latest decision to delay the launch until 2024. EU authorities simply stated: “It is expected that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be operational in 2024”.

However, it is understood that the likely cause is the EES.

According to Hipper: “The current expected date for ETIAS to be fully operational is 2024. The entry into operation of ETIAS can only take place five to six months after the entry into operation of the EES.”

It is possible that the release date will be pushed back even further.

When it finally comes into effect, British citizens will need to remember to register online before going on a trip to any country in the Schengen Area. These include most of Western Europe.

Popular destinations such as Spain, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, and Malta are all part of the Schengen free movement region. Even a handful of non-EU countries like Switzerland and Norway are members of the bloc.

There will be a small fee — reportedly €7 —  to register for the visa waiver online. It has also been said that children under 18 and passengers over 70 will be able to get the ETIAS for free.

The good news is that travellers will not need to sign up for every trip they make.

Once registered with ETIAS, Brits will be free to head to Schengen countries as many times as they like for the next 3 years. The only exception is if the registered passport expires, since the ETIAS is linked to the passport entered in the original application.

Having this visa waiver also means that the holder can spend up to 90 days in the Schengen Area per 6 months — essentially, this means it is possible to spend half of one’s time in Europe.

The introduction of electronic systems like the ETIAS and EES are part of the EU and Schengen’s ongoing efforts to modernise border control measures and improve security.

Electronic checks will also speed up border queues in theory.

It remains to be seen as to how effective this will be in practice.