ETIAS: When will there be a hard opening?

No official dates yet. You won't need it for January of next year.

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

This is the offcial site. The other link you added is not at all official and should not be trusted to give accurate information.

Agreed, and agreed. I'm wondering about a tour operator who doesn't know that there is NO official date for ESTIAS yet? You might like to pass the official URL listed above on to your tour guide & all your travel companions. “ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are collected at this point.”

Thanks. Did that this morning.

Keep hearing about May 2025, which concerns me since we’re booked on a transatlantic cruise from April 19 - May 3rd, followed by three weeks in Spain.

I’m assuming we’ll know about May by early April.

Particularly bothered by this FAQ, as I’m booking things now:

When should I apply?
We strongly advise you to obtain the ETIAS travel authorisation before you buy your tickets and book your hotels. Most applications will be processed within minutes and at the latest within 96 hours. However, some applicants may be asked to provide additional information or documentation or to participate in an interview with national authorities, which may take up to additional 30 days.

I’m on a RS tour in September and he sent me a notice a couple of months ago.

The average traveler really shouldn't worry unless:

--you have been arrested;

--have had problems with immigration or customs anywhere in Europe or really anywhere else in the past. (Such things as overstaying your allowed time, being denied entry, stopped by customs and found to be carrying undecllared items, and the like.)

They're really not after the person who wants to visit, spend some money and see the Monal Lisa.

I’d be very worried about this tour operator based on that message

the short answer to "when" is not any time soon

This has been going on for several years in some form. I am sure the tour operators are expecting ETIAS to commence in May, 2025 and are getting their notifications together now. Then again it could May, 2026 or longer. With 29 different computer systems to integrate or create a whole new reporting system it will take a lot more time than expected.

"*I’m on a RS tour in September and he sent me a notice a couple of months ago.8'

@Diane - I'm curious although I do not have an RS tour scheduled for 2025. Did the info from Rick Steves Europe say they anticipated this to be in place or did they imply it was a done deal?

We have 2 RS tours booked for September-October but haven't received any communication from RS about ETIAS.

ETIAS starts 6 months after EES goes into use.
ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are collected at this point. It is due to start 6 months after EES.
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

At this point EES Entry/Exit system is currently not in operation. It is due to start in 2025.
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en

This article---
https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/10/11/politically-courageous-eu-postpones-entryexit-system-once-again-but-whats-behind-it

---makes a start in 2025, until later in the year, seem remote. Then add an additional 6 months for the start of ETIAS, and it seems unlikely ETIAS will be operational before 2026.

I’m signed up for the RS Spain tour in May and I’m pretty sure I got an email that mentioned the possibility of ETIAS happening in 2025. But it was mainly about the new registration fee for the UK (ETA?)