The European Union has delayed the implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) again.
The delay is due to technical problems, according to an announcement from the European Council.
The program is now expected to be in place in the final quarter of 2026, with a six-month grace period for travellers. The system was originally set to be in place in 2021.
The changes will affect hundreds of thousands Canadians who travel to the EU every year.
ETIAS will require that visa-exempt travellers — including Canadians — apply online for visa waivers before their arrival in one of the 29 Schengen-area countries and Cyprus.
The waiver will cost €7, or about $11, and will last for three years. Canadians will need to fill out the form with their personal information and pay before they travel.
While most waivers will be processed in minutes, some could take up to 30 days.
Canadians who hold an EU passport or a residency card in an EU country will be exempt from the program.
Ireland will not participate and will continue to have its own visa policy because it is part of the Common Travel Area with the U.K.
Global Affairs Canada says they are aware of the new timeline and said in a statement that “Canadians are encouraged to visit our Travel Advice and Advisories web page for all the latest information on entry and exit requirements.”
Canada has a similar program — the Electronic Travel Authorization — which costs users $5 and lasts for five years. The U.S. also has visa waiver programs for many countries, but Canadians are not required to have the waiver.
However, they do have to register if they intend to stay in the U.S. for more than 30 days.
The EU is also introducing a modernized entry and exit system that will collect facial images and fingerprints of most visitors to the 30 European countries participating. That system is expected to begin its rollout in October and continue over six months. It includes non-EU members like Switzerland and Norway but also does not include Ireland.
