ETIAS for UK passport holders and EES: travelling to the EU

In short

• ETIAS for UK passport holders: UK nationals will need a valid ETIAS for a short stay (90 days in any 180-day period) in 30 European countries, but the system is not in operation yet and is not accepting applications (as of November 2026, EU). The EU will announce the start date several months before launch.
• EES (registration at the border): fully operational since 10 April 2026 (EU). You do nothing before you arrive, registration is free, and at the border you may be asked for a photo and fingerprints.
• ETIAS costs €20; people under 18 and over 70 are exempt from the fee.
• Stay limit: up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted as a single period for all the countries using the EES.
• A child with a UK passport will need their own ETIAS (a parent or legal guardian applies), but people under 18 do not pay the fee.
• Dual nationality: if you hold both UK and EU nationality, you are exempt from the EES when travelling on your EU passport.

How the EES differs from ETIAS

The EES and ETIAS are two separate EU systems (as of November 2026, EU).

ETIAS is not a visa and does not change the visa-free status of travellers.

What registration in the EES looks like at the border

You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). It replaces the manual stamping of passports when you arrive in the EU.

1. On your first visit to the Schengen area, you may be asked to create a digital record at the port or airport. A photo of your face is taken and your passport is scanned, and fingerprints are scanned for adults and children aged 12 and over.
2. Your passport is not stamped.
3. On later entries you only need to scan your passport and confirm your identity with a photo or a fingerprint. When you leave, you may be asked for a fingerprint or a photo.

If you refuse to provide your biometric data, you will be denied entry to the countries using the EES. Checks should take only a few minutes per person, but longer waits are possible, including on your journey back to the UK.

Data retention. According to the EU (EES), records of entries, exits and refusals of entry are kept for 3 years from the date they were created, and the individual file with personal data for 3 years and 1 day from the date of your last exit or refusal of entry. If no exit has been recorded, the data is kept for 5 years from the expiry date of your authorised stay.

Validity of the record. According to GOV.UK, your digital EES record is valid for 3 years. A Home Office press release says registration is valid for 3 years, or until the passport expires, whichever is soonest (GOV.UK).

Where EES checks still take place in the UK

According to GOV.UK (as of November 2026, GOV.UK), if you enter the Schengen area through the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel Le Shuttle at Folkestone or Eurostar from St Pancras, any EES checks are completed at the border before you leave the UK.

• Dover: a purpose-built processing area for EES checks at the new Western Docks.
• Folkestone: a purpose-built pre-registration area with self-service EES kiosks.
• St Pancras International: you may be asked to use self-service pre-registration kiosks in three areas of the station, before going through the ticket gates.
• Flights or ferries from ports other than Dover: you are registered in the EES at the border on arrival in your destination country.

How many days you can spend in the Schengen area

A short stay is up to 90 days in any 180-day period (as of November 2026, GOV.UK). The period is calculated as a single period for all the countries using the EES, and the 180 days keep ‘rolling’. Any time you spend in the Schengen area does not affect the number of days you can spend in Cyprus.

You can check how many days you are still allowed to stay with the EES online tool. It does not reflect time spent in the Schengen area that began before 10 April 2026, and the answer ‘OK’ or ‘NOT OK’ is not a decision to grant or refuse entry.

If you stay longer than permitted, you will be identified as an ‘overstayer’ and your data will be added to a list. Overstaying the 90-day limit may result in a ban from entering Schengen countries (FCDO advice for Poland).

Passport. According to that advice, your UK passport must have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.

ETIAS for UK passport holders: who it applies to and from when

ETIAS is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries (as of November 2026, EU). UK nationals, including British overseas citizens (BOC), British protected persons (BPP) and British subjects (BS), will need a valid ETIAS for a short stay (90 days in any 180-day period). ETIAS does not give you the right to work.

From when. ETIAS is not in operation yet and no applications are being collected. The EU will announce the specific start date several months before launch. You will only be able to apply once the system has started.

After the start. According to the EU, there will be a transitional period of at least six months: you should already apply, but people without an ETIAS who meet all the other entry conditions will not be refused entry. A grace period of at least six months will then follow, in which only people coming to Europe for the first time since the end of the transitional period will be allowed to enter without an ETIAS.

ETIAS: how much it costs and how to apply

The ETIAS fee is €20 (as of November 2026, EU), paid with a payment card. People under 18 and over 70 are exempt from the fee, and so is a family member of an EU national who meets the conditions for family member status. The fee is non-refundable if the application is refused. Any additional fee on top of €20 goes to an intermediary.

You will apply online on the official ETIAS website or in the official ETIAS mobile app, and only once the system has started. The EU advises applying well in advance, before you buy your ticket or book your accommodation.

1. Get your passport ready: it must not expire in less than 3 months and must not be older than 10 years.
2. Provide, among other things, your first names and surname, date and place of birth, nationality, home address, parents’ first names, email address and phone number. The form also asks about criminal convictions, past travel to war or conflict zones and any recent decision requiring you to leave a country.
3. Fill in the form using the Latin alphabet; it is available in all 24 official EU languages, including Polish. Take care not to use the number ‘0’ instead of the letter ‘O’ (or vice versa) in your passport number.
4. Pay by card and keep the unique application number from the confirmation email.

Most applications are processed within minutes. If not, you will receive a decision within 4 days; this period can be extended by up to 14 days if you are asked for additional information or documents, or up to 30 days if you are invited to an interview.

ETIAS is valid for three years or until the travel document you used in the application expires, whichever comes first. A new passport means you need a new ETIAS. A valid ETIAS does not guarantee an automatic right of entry: border guards check the conditions.

ETIAS and EES for a child with a UK passport

• ETIAS: an application for a minor (under 18) has to be submitted by a person exercising parental authority or legal guardianship. ETIAS is issued to one person only, so family members need their own authorisations.
• Fee: people under 18 are exempt from the fee.
• After turning 18: a child’s ETIAS remains valid until its expiry.
• EES: children are also subject to the EES. Currently the fingerprints of children under 12 are not scanned, but they may have their photo taken.

Dual nationality and residence documents: who is exempt

This guide is about entering the EU on a UK passport. For your status in the UK (settled and pre-settled status, eVisa, share code), see our guide EU Settlement Scheme: settled and pre-settled status, share code.

The EES does not apply to, among others:

• nationals of the European countries using the EES, as well as Cyprus and Ireland;
• holders of residence permits and long-stay visas;
• UK-EU dual nationals using their EU passport;
• Brits who are legally resident in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, as long as they present their residency documents at the border (this includes Withdrawal Agreement residents).

You do not need ETIAS if:

• you are a citizen of an ETIAS country or Ireland (regardless of any other nationality), but you travel on the passport of that country;
• you are a beneficiary of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement (or a family member) and hold a residence document confirming that status, issued in the uniform format by an ETIAS country other than Cyprus. A valid Cypriot Withdrawal Agreement residence document exempts you from ETIAS when travelling to Cyprus.

If you are a British-Polish dual national, you must enter and exit Poland using a Polish passport or Polish national identity card (GOV.UK). For applying for British citizenship, see our guide on British citizenship for EU citizens (naturalisation).

Beware of unofficial ETIAS websites

The EU warns that there are dozens of unofficial ETIAS websites, often pretending to provide official information. The official ETIAS website is travel-europe.europa.eu/etias; all official EU websites can be recognised by the europa.eu domain. According to GOV.UK, any website selling ETIAS at this time is doing so fraudulently (GOV.UK).

For how to spot a scam and where to report it, see our guide Scams in the UK: how to spot one and where to report it.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries use the EES, and does it apply to Ireland and Cyprus?

The EES is operational in 29 countries: all EU member states except Ireland and Cyprus, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (GOV.UK). The Republic of Ireland and Cyprus are not in the Schengen area, so the EES does not apply when travelling to either of them, and passports are still stamped manually there. However, Cyprus is one of the 30 ETIAS countries.

What should I do if the EES has miscounted my stay?

Approach border officials when you next cross the Schengen border and request a correction. For questions about the remaining duration of your stay, contact the authorities of the country where you last entered or exited the Schengen area.

What if my ETIAS application is refused?

If your application is refused, you have the right to appeal, and the appeal is processed by the authorities of the country that refused it. A previous refusal does not lead to the automatic refusal of a new application. If your application has been refused and you need to travel urgently, for example to attend a funeral, appear in court or for medical reasons, you can request an ETIAS with limited validity.

Where to get help

• Official EU websites: EES and ETIAS.
• GOV.UK: EU Entry/Exit System and Travelling to the EU and Schengen area.
• FCDO travel advice: Poland and Ireland.
• Healthcare abroad: see our guide on the GHIC card and healthcare in the EU.