In a surprise late-night communiqué, EU officials confirmed that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) – a €7 pre-travel clearance for visa-exempt visitors – will not debut until at least 2027. The postponement stems from slippage in the technical timetable for the companion Entry/Exit System (EES), without which ETIAS cannot function.
For Irish passport holders, who already enjoy visa-free access to Schengen, ETIAS represents an additional administrative layer similar to the U.S. ESTA. The delay therefore keeps summer 2026 trips paperwork-free and fee-free, a relief for families budgeting post-pandemic holidays. Airlines applauded the move: carriers feared lengthy airport queues and customer-service meltdowns if both biometric capture and paid authorisation had been introduced within months of each other.
However, travel-risk consultancies caution that postponement does not equal cancellation. ETIAS is enshrined in EU law and member states have invested heavily in IT infrastructure. Corporations with mobile workforces should still budget for the fee from 2027 and add ETIAS numbers to booking profiles once the application portal opens.
![ETIAS launch delayed to 2027, saving Irish travellers €7 fee – for now]()
To stay ahead of these changes, Irish travellers can lean on visa-service platforms such as VisaHQ. The company already compiles ETIAS updates and, via its Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/), offers notification services so clients know exactly when the application window opens and which documents or biometrics will be required.
Ireland’s tour-operator federation urged the government to use the breathing space to launch a public-information campaign. Surveys show that fewer than 40 per cent of Irish adults are aware ETIAS will apply to them, wrongly assuming it affects only UK nationals post-Brexit. An early education push could smooth the eventual transition and protect Ireland’s outbound market, worth €2.1 billion in 2025.
The European Commission will publish a revised roadmap after the April EES milestone; insiders suggest a phased, voluntary ETIAS pilot in late 2027 before mandatory enforcement in 2028.
For Irish passport holders, who already enjoy visa-free access to Schengen, ETIAS represents an additional administrative layer similar to the U.S. ESTA. The delay therefore keeps summer 2026 trips paperwork-free and fee-free, a relief for families budgeting post-pandemic holidays. Airlines applauded the move: carriers feared lengthy airport queues and customer-service meltdowns if both biometric capture and paid authorisation had been introduced within months of each other.
However, travel-risk consultancies caution that postponement does not equal cancellation. ETIAS is enshrined in EU law and member states have invested heavily in IT infrastructure. Corporations with mobile workforces should still budget for the fee from 2027 and add ETIAS numbers to booking profiles once the application portal opens.
To stay ahead of these changes, Irish travellers can lean on visa-service platforms such as VisaHQ. The company already compiles ETIAS updates and, via its Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/), offers notification services so clients know exactly when the application window opens and which documents or biometrics will be required.
Ireland’s tour-operator federation urged the government to use the breathing space to launch a public-information campaign. Surveys show that fewer than 40 per cent of Irish adults are aware ETIAS will apply to them, wrongly assuming it affects only UK nationals post-Brexit. An early education push could smooth the eventual transition and protect Ireland’s outbound market, worth €2.1 billion in 2025.
The European Commission will publish a revised roadmap after the April EES milestone; insiders suggest a phased, voluntary ETIAS pilot in late 2027 before mandatory enforcement in 2028.
