What is the difference between ESTA, eTA and ETIAS?
ESTA is the US authorisation, eTA is Canada's, and ETIAS is the EU's planned scheme that is not yet in force. None of them is a visa and none guarantees entry.
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What these authorisations have in common
All three are electronic travel authorisations. You apply online before you travel, answer questions about your identity and background, pay a fee, and receive an approval linked to your passport number. There is no sticker and no stamp in your passport.
They exist for people who do not need a visa. If your nationality does need a visa for that destination, you apply for the visa instead and the authorisation does not apply to you at all.
None of them replaces the rest of your paperwork. You will still be asked where you are staying, and a trip1 booking confirmation gives you the hotel name, address and dates in one email.
The three schemes side by side
| Authorisation | Country or area | Status | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESTA | United States | In force | Visa Waiver Program nationals arriving by air or sea |
| eTA | Canada | In force | Visa-exempt travellers flying to or transiting a Canadian airport |
| ETA | United Kingdom | In force | Visitors who do not need a UK visa, including transit passengers who pass through UK border control (airside transit does not need one) |
| eTA | Kenya | In force | Most visitors from outside East Africa, applied for before arrival |
| ETIAS | EU and Schengen area | Not in force yet, scheduled for the last quarter of 2026 | Visa-exempt nationals, once it launches |
ESTA - the United States
ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. It applies to citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries travelling to the United States for tourism, business or transit for up to 90 days, arriving by air or sea with an approved carrier.
You apply on the official US Customs and Border Protection site. An approved ESTA is normally valid for two years, or until your passport expires if that comes first, and it covers multiple trips. It does not extend the 90-day limit on any single stay.
Some travellers are not eligible for ESTA at all, including people who have visited certain countries or hold particular dual nationalities. The application asks about this, and if you are refused you apply for a visa instead.
eTA - Canada, and the countries that borrowed the name
Canada's eTA is an Electronic Travel Authorization for visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to, or transit through, a Canadian airport. It costs CAN$7 on the official Government of Canada site and is linked to the passport you applied with. You do not need one if you arrive by land or by sea.
The confusing part is that other countries now use the same or a similar name for entirely separate schemes. Two are worth naming because people mix them up constantly.
The UK ETA
The United Kingdom's Electronic Travel Authorisation is a different document with a nearly identical acronym. It applies to visitors who do not need a UK visa, costs 20 pounds through the official GOV.UK service, and is needed even if you are only passing through UK border control on a connection.
Every traveller needs their own UK ETA, including babies and children. It permits stays of up to six months and, like the others, does not guarantee entry.
The Kenya eTA
Kenya replaced its visa system with an Electronic Travel Authorization that most visitors must obtain before arrival; citizens of East African Community countries and many other African countries are exempt. It is applied for on Kenya's official eTA site and has nothing in common with Canada's scheme beyond the name.
Because the names overlap, confirm which country's scheme you are on before you enter passport or payment details. Applying for the wrong one wastes the fee and leaves you without the document you actually need.
ETIAS - the EU scheme that is not live yet
ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is the EU's planned authorisation for visa-exempt travellers visiting the Schengen area. It has been announced repeatedly and delayed repeatedly. As things stand it is not in force. The EU says it is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026 and will announce the exact date several months in advance.
You do not need an ETIAS to travel to Europe today, and you could not obtain a valid one if you tried, because none are being issued.
Important: Any website offering to sell you an ETIAS right now is not selling a real authorisation. Do not enter passport or payment details on one. When ETIAS does launch, the official EU site will be the only place to apply.
What is live in Europe right now is EES
The system actually operating at Schengen external borders is the Entry/Exit System, or EES. It was phased in from October 2025 and became fully operational on 10 April 2026.
EES is not something you apply for. On arrival you give a facial image and fingerprints at the border, and your entries and exits are recorded digitally instead of being stamped into your passport. The 90 days in any 180 rule is now counted automatically.
Expect your first crossing after registration to take longer than you are used to, and allow extra time for connections through a Schengen airport.
ESTA, eTA and ETIAS - FAQ
No. ETIAS is not in operation yet and the EU is not collecting any applications, so US citizens and other visa-exempt travellers can visit the Schengen area without one today. Once it launches, US citizens will need it, at a fee of EUR 20. Any site selling an ETIAS now is not issuing a real authorisation.
The European Commission says ETIAS is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026, but no exact date has been published. The EU has said it will announce the start date several months before launch. When it starts, an approval will last three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, and you apply only on the official EU site.
No. The ETA is the United Kingdom's Electronic Travel Authorisation, which is in force now, while ETIAS is the EU's planned authorisation for the Schengen area, which is not running yet. They are separate schemes with separate applications and fees. A UK ETA does not cover a trip to France, Spain or any other Schengen country.
Yes. US citizens have needed an ETA to visit the United Kingdom since 8 January 2025, and EU citizens since 2 April 2025. It costs 20 pounds on GOV.UK, lasts two years or until your passport expires, and allows stays of up to six months. You do not need one if you stay airside without passing through UK border control.
ESTA is the United States authorisation for Visa Waiver Program nationals, in force now, costing USD 40.27 (USD 40.62 from 16 October 2026) and valid two years for stays of up to 90 days. ETIAS is the EU's planned authorisation for visa-exempt visitors to the Schengen area, which has not launched yet. Neither is a visa, and US citizens do not need an ESTA.
It is Canada's Electronic Travel Authorization for visa-exempt travellers flying to or through a Canadian airport. It costs CAD 7 on the official Government of Canada site and is linked to your passport. US citizens are exempt, and nobody needs one when arriving by car, bus, train or boat.