ETIAS and Schengen visa insurance: what applies today
Does ETIAS change anything for Schengen visa insurance? Not today. The official ETIAS website says ETIAS is currently not in operation, no applications are collected, and the start date will be announced several months in advance. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers: if you need a Schengen visa, you still apply for the visa, and the Article 15 insurance requirement still applies to it.
ETIAS keeps appearing in the news with new dates, which makes visa applicants wonder whether something has changed for them. This page says what the official site says today, who it is for, and what to do now. We will update it when the EU announces a start date.
Where ETIAS stands today
| Question | Official answer (checked October 3, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Is ETIAS in operation? | No. "Currently not in operation", and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point. |
| Start date | None announced. The EU says it will inform about the date several months before launch. |
| Fee | EUR 20 application fee |
| Countries requiring it | 30 European countries, including all the Schengen states |
| Who needs it | Visa-exempt travellers making a short stay (up to 90 days) |
Source: official ETIAS website, travel-europe.europa.eu and its "Who should apply" page · checked October 3, 2026
ETIAS or a visa: which applies to you
ETIAS is for nationals of countries that do not need a visa for a short stay, for example the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (Emirati nationals). The official list has the full set of countries.
If you are a national of a country that needs a Schengen visa, ETIAS does not replace it. The nationalities our country guides cover (India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Türkiye, Egypt and South Africa) do not appear on the official ETIAS list, so for them the process is the one we describe in our guides: the visa application, with a travel insurance certificate that meets Article 15. Living in the UAE or another visa-exempt country does not change this: what counts is your nationality, so check the official list for yours. The official site notes a few narrow exceptions (for example a school trip, or a recognised refugee residing in one of the countries), and tells those travellers to check with the consulates.
What this means for insurance
- Visa applicants: nothing changes. You need a certificate showing at least €30,000 of cover, valid in all Schengen states, for the whole stay, covering medical repatriation, urgent care and death. Our certificate checker walks you through it.
- Visa-exempt travellers: insurance is outside the scope of this site, which compares plans for visa applicants. We have not checked whether ETIAS will involve any insurance condition, so use the official ETIAS website for that.
- Everyone: buy travel medical insurance because hospital bills abroad can be large, whether or not any authority asks for it.
Be careful with sites that sell ETIAS now
Because the official site says no applications are being collected, a website that offers to process an ETIAS application today is not doing so for the EU. The official fee is EUR 20, and the EU's own site is the place to apply once ETIAS starts. If you are asked to pay a service fee to a third party for something that cannot be filed yet, do not pay.
What to do now
- Need a Schengen visa? Apply for the visa and make sure your insurance certificate meets Article 15. Start with the requirements guide.
- Visa-exempt? Nothing to do yet. Check the official ETIAS website for the start date, which will be announced months before.
- Not sure which group you are in? Check the official list by nationality, and ask the consulate of your destination if your case is unusual.
Frequently asked questions
Is ETIAS in operation?
Does ETIAS replace the Schengen visa?
How much will ETIAS cost?
Can I apply for ETIAS today?
Do I need ETIAS if I am from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Türkiye, Egypt or South Africa?
Compare plans whose certificates show the €30,000 cover, or price your exact trip in 10 seconds.