The EU’s European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) could be delayed until next year due to ongoing issues with the current EES roll-out.
ETIAS – the EU’s visa-waiver authorisation for travellers from visa-exempt countries costing €20 (R379) – was expected to be introduced in phases from later this year.
However, according to a report by the Financial Times, plans are under way to delay the roll-out again following delays with EES, which ETIAS depends on. The system has faced many delays over the past few years due to complications linked to EES.
EES became mandatory in April but has caused long queues at several European airports. As a result, several industry groups have called for the system to be suspended during the busy summer travel season.
Financial Times reported that EU-Lisa, the agency in charge of implementing ETIAS, no longer considers a year-end launch achievable. A new implementation timeline could be considered in September.
