The European Union has again delayed the implementation of the European travel information and the authorization system (ETIAS).
According to an announcement by the European Council, the delay is due to technical problems.
The program will now be available for travelers in the last quarter of 2026 with a period of six months. The system was originally supposed to be present in 2021.
The changes affect hundreds of thousands of Canadians who travel to the EU every year.
ETIAS demands that visa-friendly travelers-to apply for visa declarations of visa in one of the 29 countries and Cyprus of Schengen in Schengen before their arrival.
The waiver costs € 7 or about 11 US dollars and lasts three years. The Canadians have to fill out and pay the form with their personal data before traveling.
While most of the waiver are processed within minutes, a few could take up to 30 days.
Canadians who own an EU passport or a residency card are freed from the program in an EU country.
Ireland will not participate and continue to have its own visa policy, as it is part of the common travel area with Great Britain
Global Affairs Canada says that they are aware of the new timeline and said in a statement that “Canadians are asked to visit our website for travel advice and advice for the latest information on the requirements of entry and exit requirements.”
Canada has a similar program -the electronics travel license -that costs users 5 US dollars and takes five years. The United States also has Visa reference programs for many countries, but the Canadians do not have to have the waiver.
However, you have to register if you want to stay in the USA For more than 30 days.
The EU also introduces a modernized entry-level and exit system that collects facial pictures and fingerprints of most visitors to the 30 European countries involved. This system is expected to begin with its introduction in October and take over six months. It includes non-EU members such as Switzerland and Norway, but also not Ireland.
