The European Travel Information and Authorisation System is coming soon. Here's what it means for your Eurostar journey.
ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It's a new pre-travel registration requirement for visitors to the Schengen area from visa-exempt countries — similar in concept to the US ESTA or the UK ETA.
Once ETIAS launches, travellers from countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and around 60 other nations will need to register online before travelling to any Schengen country — including France, Belgium, and the Netherlands (all Eurostar destinations).
ETIAS has been delayed multiple times. As of early 2026, the European Commission has indicated a launch in 2026, but no firm date has been confirmed. We'll update this page as soon as the go-live date is announced. For now, no ETIAS registration is required.
If you're taking the Eurostar from London to Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam, you'll clear French (or Belgian/Dutch) immigration at St Pancras before boarding. Once ETIAS is live, the border officer will check that you have a valid ETIAS authorisation as part of that process.
You won't need to show a separate document — ETIAS is linked electronically to your passport. But you should apply and receive confirmation before you travel. Turning up at St Pancras without a valid ETIAS (once the system is live) could mean being denied boarding.
Once live, you'll apply online at the official ETIAS website. The process requires:
Apply at least 72 hours before travel to allow for any processing delays, though most applications are expected to be approved almost instantly.
When ETIAS launches, only apply through the official EU website. Third-party sites charging higher fees for "fast processing" are unnecessary and sometimes fraudulent. We'll link to the official application page here as soon as it's available.
ETIAS and the UK ETA are separate systems run by different authorities. ETIAS covers entry to Schengen countries (France, Belgium, Netherlands). The UK ETA covers entry to the United Kingdom. If you're making a round trip on the Eurostar — London to Paris and back — you may need both, depending on your nationality.