If there’s one thing you can laugh at in the U.S., it’s the continuous delays of the REAL I.D. program. First announced in 2005, with a May 2008 deadline, it’s been delayed over and over and over again, for a variety of reasons.
The most recent update is that REAL ID will definitely, positively go live in May, 2025. But the deadline might have the flexibility to not really start in earnest until 2027. But hey, they still have 2 months or so to change it, so give it time…
ETIAS: Europe’s REAL ID?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, ETIAS is saying, “Hold my beer.” Or wine. Or schnapps. Or maybe vodka. All depends on the country.
What is ETIAS?
ETIAS, of course, is the European Travel Information and Authorization System. It will eventually be an electronic visa waiver program that’s similar to an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization – that’s the visa waiver system Europeans and other foreign nationals need to enter the U.S.)
We say that’s what it will “eventually be” because, just like our Real ID, it’s been delayed countless times.
ETIAS was originally proposed in 2016. It still hasn’t started. In fact, it was supposed to start sometime this year. But now it won’t…it’s been delayed again. From the EU’s official website:
On 5 March, EU Home Affairs Ministers endorsed a revised timeline for the implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). The EES is expected to become operational in October 2025. ETIAS is expected to follow in the last quarter of 2026.
EES: The First Step Before ETIAS
EES??? What’s that?
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a new digital border management system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of 29 European countries using the system. The EES will modernise border management of the Schengen countries, gradually simplify border controls and prevent identity fraud. ETIAS travel authorisation is an entry requirement for non-EU visa-free nationals.
More simply, EES will be an automated IT system for registered travelers from non-EU countries each time they cross an EU external border. They’ll use biometric information, which will replace stamping passports. EES, once implemented, will be required at land borders, seaports, and airports.
Will ETIAS Actually Launch in 2026?
So ETIAS is expected to begin in the last quarter of 2026, after EES has been established. Ummm… anyone wanna take bets on that?
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