ETIAS and the 90/180 rule for professional drivers

ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is a travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers. It is a separate system from the Entry/Exit System, and it is a separate matter from the 90/180-day limit. On 11 November 2026, the official ETIAS website says the system is not in operation, and that no applications are being collected.

This post uses that official EU wording for the current status and the fee, and explains what ETIAS does not change in a driver's day count.

Key takeaways

• The official ETIAS website, travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias, says ETIAS is currently not in operation and that no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point.
• The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch, according to that official site.
• GOV.UK's EES page, last updated on 10 April 2026, says that from autumn 2026 the EU is expected to start operations of ETIAS, and that the European Union will announce the specific date before its launch. This post treats the official EU site as the source for whether ETIAS is open, because that site is where applications will be made.
• The official ETIAS site lists a EUR 20 application fee as part of the process once the system is running.
• GOV.UK says any website selling ETIAS at this time is doing so fraudulently, and that you should only apply on the official EU website when you are able to.
• When ETIAS is introduced, GOV.UK says you will need to apply for authorisation to enter Schengen Area countries if you are using a UK passport and do not already have a visa or residence permit.
• ETIAS does not add extra days to the 90/180 short-stay limit. The official EU EES FAQ says the short-stay rules remain 90 days in any 180 days.

Official status on 11 November 2026

The official ETIAS website opens with a clear statement. ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point. The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch.

That is the status a transport office should use today. A start date should come from a later official EU announcement, not from a third-party site, and not from an assumed season if the official ETIAS page has not published a date.

GOV.UK's EES guidance, last updated on 10 April 2026, says that from autumn 2026 the EU is expected to start operations of ETIAS, that no action is required from travellers at this point, and that the European Union will announce the specific date for the start of ETIAS before its launch. GOV.UK also warns that any website selling ETIAS at this time is doing so fraudulently, and that you should only apply on the official EU website when able to.

Those two official sources agree on the important operational point. ETIAS is not open for applications now, the EU will announce the start date, and applications should be made only on the official EU site. This post does not treat autumn 2026 as a confirmed launch date, because the official ETIAS website, checked on 11 November 2026, has not published a specific date and says the EU will inform several months prior to launch.

What ETIAS is, and what it is not

The official ETIAS site describes ETIAS as the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries. The process it outlines is to fill in the application, pay a EUR 20 application fee, get the travel authorisation, and then travel to Europe.

GOV.UK says that when ETIAS is introduced, you will need to apply for authorisation to enter Schengen Area countries if you are using a UK passport and do not already have a visa or residence permit. You will need to provide personal information and details about your trip, and pay a 20 euro fee, as part of the authorisation process. GOV.UK points readers to the official Travel Europe website for more detail.

The official EU FAQ on EES also places ETIAS in context. It is expected that ETIAS will be launched soon after EES, and will concern visa-exempt non-EU nationals. Unlike the Visa Information System, which contains information related to Schengen visas, ETIAS will contain information dealing with travel authorisations for non-EU nationals travelling visa-free to the 30 European countries implementing ETIAS.

ETIAS is therefore an authorisation to travel, for people who do not need a visa. It is not a visa, and it is not a grant of extra days. The 90/180 short-stay limit continues to come from the Schengen Borders Code. The official EES FAQ is explicit that EES itself changes nothing in those short-stay rules, which remain 90 days in any 180 days. Nothing on the official ETIAS homepage, as checked on 11 November 2026, states that an authorisation increases that allowance.

Gibraltar travel advice says ETIAS will also apply once it is operational, as part of the checks at Joshua Hassan Gibraltar International Airport. That is a reminder to include Gibraltar in later briefings, once the official start date is known.

What a transport office should do now

There is no official application to complete today. Drivers and offices should ignore third-party sites that offer to sell an ETIAS authorisation. GOV.UK's fraud warning is clear.

The office should keep planning against the 90/180 rule as it stands, keep EES processes in view, and watch the official ETIAS website for a launch announcement. When the EU publishes a start date, the office will need a process for visa-exempt drivers who do not already hold a visa or residence permit, including payment of the official fee and enough time to apply before travel.

Practical checklist

• Use only the official ETIAS website, travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias, for status, dates and fees.
• Do not apply or pay on any other site while official pages say applications are not being collected.
• Do not treat ETIAS as extra days on top of the 90/180 limit.
• Watch the official EU site for the launch announcement, which the EU says will come several months before the start.
• When ETIAS opens, identify which drivers will need an authorisation, especially those without a visa or residence permit.
• Budget for the official fee, which the official site lists as EUR 20, and confirm the live figure on the day you apply.
• Keep the official ETIAS site, and GOV.UK's EES and travel pages, on the office reading list.

How Track90 FLEET can help

Track90 FLEET helps a transport office keep a company record of each driver's Schengen days, work and personal trips, and passport dates while these border systems change. You can start a 7-day free trial for up to 5 drivers, with no credit card, from the pricing page. A company record helps you plan. It cannot guarantee entry at the border, and it cannot issue an ETIAS authorisation.

Sources

Facts in this post were checked on 11 November 2026 against the official pages below.

• Official ETIAS website (Travel Europe)
• EU Entry/Exit System (GOV.UK)
• FAQs about EES, including ETIAS (Travel Europe)
• Entry requirements, Gibraltar (GOV.UK)
• Regulation (EU) 2016/399, the Schengen Borders Code (EUR-Lex)