Published on January 9, the update means Britons can continue travelling to Spain and the rest of the Schengen area throughout 2026 without applying for a new travel permit. If you have a European holiday booked this year, your passport remains all you need.
ETIAS is a new online travel authorisation for visa-free visitors to the EU, similar to the US ESTA system. Once introduced, travellers from countries including the UK, US, Canada and Australia will need to complete an online application and pay a €20 fee before entering the Schengen zone.
An approved ETIAS will be valid for multiple trips over a period of up to three years, or until the traveller’s passport expires. EU citizens will not be required to apply.
This scheme was originally projected much sooner, but the EU now says it will begin rolling out in the final months of 2026. A six-month transition period will follow, pushing the point at which ETIAS becomes compulsory to around April 2027 at the earliest.
The postponement has been attributed to EU border reforms, particularly the new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES). This process will record fingerprints and facial images of non-EU travellers each time they cross an external EU border.
Spain has already begun pilot trials of EES, which started in late 2025. Full implementation is expected by April 2026. AENA, the country’s airport operator, has welcomed the delay, saying it allows more time for staff training and for the new technology to bed in before another layer of checks is introduced.
When ETIAS eventually comes into force, airlines will be required to check that passengers have valid authorisation prior to landing. Travellers who fail to apply could be denied travel before even reaching the airport gate.
EU officials maintain that ETIAS will improve security and streamline border controls in the long term, but critics argue that economic concerns and the desire to protect tourism have also influenced that latest delay.
For now, UK travellers can continue to visit Spain and the rest of Europe throughout 2026 without any additional permits or fees.
The timelines may yet change again, but holidaymakers have been granted a further pause before ETIAS finally becomes a reality.
Source: https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2026-01-14/etias-delayed-until-2027/944854
