As the Schengenvisainfo portal reports, citing a comment from an EU official, the European Union has postponed the launch of the ETIAS border control system until May 2025.
Let us recall that previously the travel tracking system for citizens who do not require a visa to the Schengen area (EES) was planned to be launched by 2024.
According to the source, “We were initially hoping to have EES operational by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. Due to unforeseen delays, it became apparent that these deadlines were unattainable. As a result, the implementation of ETIAS has been postponed to May 2025, with the possibility of further deferment.”
EES is another border control system that will track, among other things, trips to the EU by citizens on a short-term visa. Both systems are connected and ETIAS cannot operate without EES. The commissioning of the first system will be possible five to six months after the commissioning of the second. However, the launch date for EES is still 2024.