Europe Visa and Travel News
An analysis commissioned by the WTTC estimates that regular waits of three hours or more at Schengen borders could deter some travelers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. Up to 41 million arrivals and $45.4 billion in tourism spending could be at risk if such delays became persistent.
The official UK ETA application service has been showing a message since Wednesday indicating that the portal is “currently busy,” with wait times sometimes exceeding one hour. British authorities have not announced any official outage at this stage.
The European Commission has issued opinions on internal border controls reintroduced by nine Schengen countries, including France, Germany and Italy. Brussels acknowledges security and migration concerns, but recommends gradually lifting these measures in favor of alternative tools.
Starting June 3, 2026, Indian nationals no longer need an airport transit visa to connect through a German airport on their way to a third country.
Ireland is changing its visa appeals process. Starting June 1, 2026, most refusals of short-stay Type C visas will no longer be eligible for an administrative appeal.
Short-stay Schengen visa applications rose slightly in 2025. Consulates across the Schengen area received nearly 12 million applications, a figure that remains well below pre-pandemic levels.
The European Entry/Exit System, known as EES, is now fully in use at the external borders of the Schengen Area, but its operation still varies widely from one border crossing to another. Despite these difficult early stages, the European travel authorization ETIAS remains expected in the final quarter of 2026.
The United Kingdom issued 25.1 million Electronic Travel Authorizations, or ETAs, in the year ending March 2026, according to new statistics released by the UK Home Office.
The 2026 State of Schengen report confirms the growing role of new digital tools at Europe’s borders. Following the full rollout of EES in April, the European Union is now preparing for the launch of ETIAS, expected in the final quarter of 2026.
The European Commission outlines the key differences between EES and ETIAS, two systems that are often mentioned together but do not apply to exactly the same travelers or the same stage of the journey.
Indian travelers connecting through a French airport no longer need an airport transit visa, provided they remain in the international transit area and continue onward to a third country. The measure took effect on April 10, 2026, following the publication of an official order in the Journal officiel.
Europe’s new Entry/Exit System, or EES, is now fully operational. For millions of non-European travelers, passport stamps are becoming a thing of the past, replaced by digital border records and biometric data collection.
As of April 9, visa-exempt travelers to the United Kingdom can apply for an ETA to travel to Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man starting April 23, 2026.
As of April 8, 2026, the price of the Electronic Travel Authorization required for many visa-exempt visitors to the UK has risen from £16 to £20. The increase comes just one day before the system reaches a new stage in its rollout to Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.
After Jersey, Guernsey has confirmed that ETA applications will open on April 9 for direct travel to the Crown Dependencies starting April 23. Applications will have to be submitted through the official UK government portal, while French nationals taking a day trip to the Channel Islands will remain exempt from the ETA requirement.
