ETIAS for Australian citizens: what Aussies need to know for 2026
Aussies don't need a visa for Europe. From late 2026, they do need a €7 pre-travel authorisation. Here's what ETIAS is, and how not to get scammed.
Australians have long turned up in Europe with a passport and a smile. That's mostly still true in 2026 — but before your next long-haul flight to Rome or Berlin, you'll need one small extra thing: an approved ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System).
Who needs it
- Australian passport holders visiting any Schengen country for tourism, business or short stays.
- Under 18s and over 70s: still required, fee waived.
- Dual citizens with an EU or Irish passport: travel on that one instead and skip ETIAS altogether.
Where ETIAS applies
All 29 Schengen countries — most of the EU plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Ireland is not in Schengen, so no ETIAS needed there. The UK is on its own system.
How to apply
- Only use the official site —
travel-europe.europa.eu/etias. Everything else is a middleman. - Fill in passport, address, employment, first Schengen country of entry.
- Pay €7 by card.
- Most approvals are instant; some go to manual review (up to 30 days). Don't book non-refundable flights for the day after you apply.
Schengen 90/180 still applies
ETIAS doesn't grant extra time. Australian passports can spend up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day window across the Schengen zone. A long working-holiday-style Europe trip needs planning — spending four months bouncing between Spain, Italy and Greece will overstay you. The new EES fingerprinting makes this automatic to detect.
Other pre-travel forms Aussies now need
- United Kingdom: UK ETA required (£16, valid two years). Also applies if you're just transiting through Heathrow.
- USA: ESTA required ($21, valid two years). Apply on the official CBP site.
- Canada: eTA required for flights (~CAD 7).
- New Zealand: NZeTA plus IVL levy.
Country-by-country requirements, with the official application links, are on our destinations index — filter by "Australian passport".