Implementation of Europe's always-upcoming travel permit and entry fee for international visitors has been postponed for the umpteenth time.
Nothing new there. The European Union has repeatedly pushed back the target date for rolling out the so-called ETIAS, or Electronic Travel Information and Authorization System.
Eventually, travelers from visa-exempt countries, including the United States, will need to apply for the electronic permit, which will require a fee of €20 ($23), in order to visit any of the 30 participating European countries. The authorization will remain valid for 3 years.
ETIAS would essentially be the European Union's version of the USA's ESTA and the U.K.'s ETA, both of which are similar if you overlook the crucial difference that the British and U.S. systems have actually been implemented.
When is ETIAS expected to launch?
Europe's ETIAS was originally supposed to launch in 2022. It did not. Nor did it meet any of the other target dates posted by the EU since.
So now the EU has decided to drop target dates altogether. Having previously claimed that ETIAS would get going in the "last quarter of 2026," the EU has changed a notice at the top of the official ETIAS website to read:
"ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point. The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch."
In other words, the program has been postponed indefinitely.
What's behind the delay?
EU officials haven't said much about the reasons for the latest delay, but it seems safe to assume they're probably hoping to avoid a repeat of the chaotic rollout of a related but different new hoop international visitors have to jump through: Europe's Entry/Exit System (EES).
That one requires all foreigners coming into Europe to stop at electronic kiosks to submit facial photos and fingerprints rather than getting passports stamped.
EES, which became fully operational just in time to throw a wrench into the busy summer travel season, has resulted in nightmarish lines and missed flights at some European airports.
As for the ETIAS, its technology management board will meet next month, reports TravelPulse, to "establish a revised timeline," with "hopes of preserving the possibility of a 2027 launch."
While those EU officials meet to establish that hope of preserving that possibility, the good news is that you don't have to apply for ETIAS or pay a fee to enter Europe anytime soon (the biometric EES process is free).
Beware of any claims to the contrary. They are either mistaken or designed to scam you out of your money.
Keep on top of Frommer's' updates about Europe's ETIAS at www.frommers.com/tags/etias/.