In a detailed explainer published today, Travel and Tour World highlights how the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and the biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) will reshape travel to Italy and the wider Schengen Area from late 2025 into 2026. The article notes that once the EES goes live (currently scheduled for October 2025), ETIAS will become compulsory six months later, meaning that by mid-2026 most visa-exempt visitors – including U.S., UK, Canadian and Australian nationals – must obtain online clearance before boarding a flight to Italy.
ETIAS will cost €20, be valid for three years (or until passport expiry) and require applicants to answer security and public-health questions. The EES, for its part, will capture fingerprints and facial images at Italy’s external borders and automatically calculate authorised length of stay, replacing manual passport stamping. Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa have already installed 89 automated e-gates to handle the additional biometric workload, while carriers are updating departure-control systems to check ETIAS status at the time of check-in.
Whether you are a leisure traveller planning an Italian getaway or an HR manager coordinating employee trips, VisaHQ can simplify the entire ETIAS process. Through its user-friendly portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), the service offers step-by-step application guidance, real-time status updates and expert support, helping applicants secure approval quickly and avoid last-minute complications at the airport.
![Schengen ETIAS & EES: Italy reminds travellers that pre-authorisation will soon be mandatory]()
For corporate-mobility programmes the key operational change is the end of last-minute visa-free travel. Short-notice meetings or emergency on-site interventions will only be feasible if employees already hold a valid ETIAS or qualify for an exempt category such as holders of Italian residence permits or EU Blue Cards. Companies are therefore building ETIAS monitoring into travel-booking workflows and instructing globally mobile staff to apply as soon as the system opens.
Tax-equalisation and compliance teams should also note that ETIAS records will give Italian authorities a precise log of days spent in the country, making it harder for frequent flyers to glide under the 183-day tax-residency threshold. HR should brief assignees on possible audits and ensure that shadow payrolls align with the new data trail.
While ETIAS is framed as a security tool, officials argue that it will ultimately speed up border processing by shifting risk assessment upstream. With passenger numbers projected to exceed 2019 levels by 18 % in 2026, the Italian government views digital border management as essential to maintaining throughput and avoiding the queues that marred summer 2024.
ETIAS will cost €20, be valid for three years (or until passport expiry) and require applicants to answer security and public-health questions. The EES, for its part, will capture fingerprints and facial images at Italy’s external borders and automatically calculate authorised length of stay, replacing manual passport stamping. Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Malpensa have already installed 89 automated e-gates to handle the additional biometric workload, while carriers are updating departure-control systems to check ETIAS status at the time of check-in.
Whether you are a leisure traveller planning an Italian getaway or an HR manager coordinating employee trips, VisaHQ can simplify the entire ETIAS process. Through its user-friendly portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/), the service offers step-by-step application guidance, real-time status updates and expert support, helping applicants secure approval quickly and avoid last-minute complications at the airport.
For corporate-mobility programmes the key operational change is the end of last-minute visa-free travel. Short-notice meetings or emergency on-site interventions will only be feasible if employees already hold a valid ETIAS or qualify for an exempt category such as holders of Italian residence permits or EU Blue Cards. Companies are therefore building ETIAS monitoring into travel-booking workflows and instructing globally mobile staff to apply as soon as the system opens.
Tax-equalisation and compliance teams should also note that ETIAS records will give Italian authorities a precise log of days spent in the country, making it harder for frequent flyers to glide under the 183-day tax-residency threshold. HR should brief assignees on possible audits and ensure that shadow payrolls align with the new data trail.
While ETIAS is framed as a security tool, officials argue that it will ultimately speed up border processing by shifting risk assessment upstream. With passenger numbers projected to exceed 2019 levels by 18 % in 2026, the Italian government views digital border management as essential to maintaining throughput and avoiding the queues that marred summer 2024.
