The European Union has further delayed the implementation of its ETIAS travel system for non-EU visitors until 2024.
The Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs at the EU has pushed back the launch date for ETIAS from November 2023 to 2024 in an update on its website. No reason was given for this latest delay.
ETIAS has suffered a series of delays in the past few years. The previous postponement, announced in August 2022, saw ETIAS’s starting date being pushed back by six months from May to November 2023.
Last month, the EU also postponed the launch of its new Entry-Exit System (EES) from May 2023 to a target date of “by the end of 2023”. EES will be used to register non-EU travellers when they arrive and leave the bloc.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of The Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “The recent announcement that the roll out of ETIAS will be delayed until 2024 is one silver lining for British travellers planning to travel to the EU this year. It is one less hurdle and cost for holidaymakers and travellers to have to consider. The delay will also allow more time for all travel businesses and consumers to familiarise themselves with the new requirements.
ETIAS has suffered a series of delays in the past few years, it is crucial that when the scheme is eventually introduced it is fully functional and has been thoroughly tried and tested.”
