ETIAS for UK Children: What Every Parent Must Know Before Travelling to Europe
Jul 7, 2026
Category: ETIAS ETIAS Tips
The rules for UK families travelling to Europe have changed. From the last quarter of 2026, children will need their own ETIAS travel authorisation, even if they are very young.
That raises three common questions for parents: does a child need one, who applies, and what’s the cost?
Fortunately, the answers are simple. Because an ETIAS is linked to the child’s passport, a parent or guardian must apply on their behalf, but under-18s are exempt from the application fee.
This guide covers the essentials: eligibility, travel documents, applications, costs, and border checks. It also highlights common pitfalls to ensure your family is fully prepared before travelling.
What ETIAS is and Why it Now Applies to UK Children
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a required travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors entering 30 European countries. UK nationals—including children—must have one simply because they are visa-exempt travellers, not due to their age.
Why Every UK Traveller Now Needs an ETIAS
After Brexit, UK nationals became third-country nationals who can visit Europe without a visa for short stays. That visa-exempt status is exactly what brings you and your children under the ETIAS system.
There is no minimum age requirement. A newborn with a passport is treated as a traveller in their own right, so the rule reaches every member of your family.
ETIAS vs. a Visa
An ETIAS is not a visa. It lets your child stay in the Schengen area and other participating countries for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, but it does not guarantee entry on its own.
It also covers short visits only. It gives no right to study long-term, work or settle, and a border guard still checks that your child meets the entry conditions on arrival.
| What ETIAS Covers | What ETIAS Does Not Cover |
| Short stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period | Any stay longer than 90 days in an 180-day window |
| Multiple trips within the validity period | An automatic or guaranteed right of entry |
| Tourism, visiting family and short business trips | Long-term study, work or residence |
| Entry to all 30 participating countries | A replacement for a required long-stay visa |
When the Rules Take Effect
ETIAS starts operations in the last quarter of 2026, and no action is required from your family before then. You cannot apply yet, and there is no early sign-up, so treat anything you do now as preparation.
When the system goes live, you will complete each child’s application form on the official ETIAS website or mobile app. Until then, the practical step is to get familiar with how the process works and check that everyone’s passport is ready.
Which Children Need an ETIAS and Which Are Exempt
Except for rare exceptions based on residency or family ties, every UK child travelling to Europe for a short stay needs their own ETIAS. Age alone does not exempt them.
One ETIAS Per Child
An ETIAS is issued to one person and linked to that person’s passport. There is no shared or family authorisation, so your child cannot travel on yours, and each child needs a separate one.
This applies to minors and adults alike from all visa-exempt countries. Because the requirement is linked to the passport, every child needs their own authorisation.
Children Who are Exempt
A small number of children are exempt from the ETIAS requirement because of where they live or who they are related to. Each route has its own conditions, and your child must meet them to qualify.
The table below sets out the main exemptions that apply to children and what each one depends on.
| Exemption Route | Requirement |
| Beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement | Documents proving the child’s status as a UK national living in an EU host country |
| Resident of a country requiring ETIAS | A valid residence permit or residence card issued by that country |
| Family member of an EU citizen | Proof of the qualifying family relationship, with conditions checked at the border |
If your child has family ties to an EU, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) or Swiss citizen, they may qualify for exemptions. Check these specific conditions against your situation before assuming they are covered.
Babies and Very Young Children
Age gives no exemption, which catches many parents out. Even babies and toddlers need an ETIAS because the requirement attaches to the passport itself rather than the traveller’s age.
So a newborn on their first trip is treated the same as any other traveller. If they have a passport and you are heading to a participating country for a short stay, they need an authorisation.
Note that being exempt from ETIAS does not automatically exempt your child from the Entry/Exit System (EES). They follow separate rules, meaning an exempt child may still be registered at the border.
Passport Requirements for a Child’s ETIAS
A child’s ETIAS depends entirely on their passport, since the authorisation is linked to that specific document. Your child’s passport must be valid, meet a couple of age and expiry rules and match the details you enter exactly.
Validity and Age of the passport
Your child’s passport should not expire less than three months after the date you plan to leave Europe. It also should not be older than 10 years on the day you apply.
Children’s passports often have shorter validity periods than adult passports, which makes expiry a real risk for families. So check the issue and expiry dates on every child’s passport before you book anything.
Matching Details and Biometric Passports
The name and passport number on your child’s authorisation have to match their passport exactly. A single wrong character can mean your child is refused boarding or turned away at the border.
If you have applied for a US ESTA before, the link works similarly: the authorisation is tied to a single document, not to the person in general. Your child needs their own biometric passport for this, as the authorisation cannot be attached to yours.
Planning Around Passport Renewals
A new passport means a new ETIAS, so timing matters when a renewal is due. If your child’s passport is close to expiry, renew it first and apply for the authorisation afterwards, using the new document.
This saves you from paying for and completing an application that a renewal would immediately cancel out. A quick diary check of every child’s passport now can spare you a scramble later.
A valid passport allows your child to apply for an ETIAS instead of a Schengen visa. Getting the passport right is the essential first step.
Who Applies on a Child’s Behalf
A child cannot apply for their own ETIAS, so a responsible adult must apply on their behalf. That adult must be someone exercising parental authority or legal guardianship over the child,
Parental Authority and Legal Guardianship
Applications for anyone under 18 must be submitted by a person with permanent or temporary parental authority or by a legal guardian. As a parent, that usually means you, but it can be a guardian when custody or care sits elsewhere.
The applicant assumes full responsibility for the information in the form. This includes declarations regarding past criminal convictions and a confirmation that the child understands the entry requirements for their destination countries.
The Declaration of Representation
When applying for your child, a declaration of representation authorises you to submit the application on the child’s behalf under your parental authority or guardianship.
Keep a copy of the signed declaration in your files. It is your proof that you were authorised to submit the application and to handle your child’s personal data.
If a travel agency or another person applies on behalf of your family, the rules tighten. You need a separate declaration of representation for each traveller, so a family of four children means four separate declarations.
Using an Email Address the Parent Controls
The application asks for an email address, and it needs to be one you personally control. This address handles all communication about your child’s authorisation throughout its validity, so a lost inbox means missed updates.
Use your own email rather than the child’s, and avoid letting an intermediary enter one you cannot open. If you cannot access the address on file, you may miss notices about your child’s authorisation, including any change to its status.
Submitting through the official channel costs EUR 20 for a standard adult application (children’s rules are covered below). If you use a third-party service, ensure their additional fee is reasonable before sharing your child’s details.
How to Apply for a Child’s ETIAS Step by Step
You apply for your child’s ETIAS through the official website or mobile app, filling in the form yourself and paying, where applicable, by card. The process is short, and most decisions come back quickly, but a few details need care to avoid delays.
Information You’ll Need to Hand
Have your child’s passport and a payment card ready before you start. The form asks for details about your child and about you, the person submitting it.
Here is what you will be asked to provide for your child:
- Personal details, including full name, date and place of birth, nationality, home address and parents’ first names
- Contact details, meaning the email address and phone number you control
- Passport details taken directly from your child’s travel document
- Details about the intended trip, including the first country your child plans to enter
- The declared questions, covering matters such as past travel to conflict zones
You also enter your own surname, first names and relationship to the child as the person applying on their behalf. This ties the application to you.
Completing and Reviewing the Form
You can save a draft and come back to it, though the system holds it for only 48 hours before deleting it. Fill in what you can, then return to finish it within that window.
Review every field before submitting. If the passport number doesn’t match the travel document, your child will be refused entry. Check the number character by character, paying close attention to easily confused digits like the number zero and the letter O.
Processing Times and What to Expect
Most applications are decided within minutes, and you receive an email confirming submission with a unique application number to keep. Save that number, as it will be your reference if you need to follow up.
Some applications take longer, and you will get a decision within four days at most. That period can be extended by up to 14 days if you are asked for more information, or by up to 30 days if an interview is required.
This is why you apply well ahead of travel rather than the night before you fly. An authorisation covers short-term stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period, so there is no benefit to leaving it late, and plenty of risk if a check takes longer than expected.
Costs and the Under-18 Fee Exemption
Your child pays nothing for their ETIAS, because applicants under 18 are exempt from the fee. You still complete the full application for them, but the EUR 20 charge that applies to most adults is waived.
Why Children Pay Nothing
The fee exemption is based on age and runs from the date of birth you enter on the application. Anyone under 18 on the day they apply is exempt, and so is anyone over 70.
Family members of EU citizens are also exempt, whatever their age. If your child qualifies on either count, the system applies the exemption when it reads the details you submit.
What a Family Actually Pays
Because children pay nothing, your family’s total cost depends on the number of adults travelling, not the number of people. A trip with two parents and three children means two fees, not five.
So the more of your group who are under 18, the smaller the bill. Only the adults in the standard age band are charged.
Watch Out for Intermediary Charges
Some websites offer to submit your application for you and add a service fee on top. These sites may charge for a child’s application even though the official fee is zero, so you could end up paying for something that should cost nothing.
Apply through the official website or app to avoid these extra charges. Using the official channel also keeps your child’s data protection in the hands of the system built for it, rather than a third party you have not vetted.
If you do choose an intermediary, check the total charge and how they handle your child’s details before you pay. A reasonable service fee is one thing, but a charge dressed up as the official cost is worth avoiding.
Validity, Turning 18 and Keeping a Child’s ETIAS Current
A child’s ETIAS lasts for three years, or until their passport expires, whichever comes first. A few life events can cut that short and force a fresh application, so it helps to know which ones.
How Long it Lasts
Your child’s authorisation is valid for three years from the date it is granted, unless their passport expires sooner. If the passport has two years left when you apply, the authorisation lasts two years to match.
Within that period, your child can make as many trips as they like without reapplying. The authorisation remains valid across all participating countries for its entire term.
What Happens When a Child Turns 18
An authorisation your child obtained while under 18 remains valid until its expiry date. Turning 18 does not cancel it, nor does it trigger a new application on its own.
So if your 16-year-old holds a valid authorisation, they can keep using it until their eighteenth birthday, when it runs out. Only expiry or a new passport ends it early.
New Passport, New ETIAS
Because an ETIAS is tied to a specific passport, any new travel document—whether due to renewal, name change or loss—requires a new application. Since children outgrow passports quickly, you will need to reapply using the new details before their next trip.
If a passport is lost or stolen abroad, report it to the local police; the old ETIAS will be cancelled, and you must apply for a new one once you receive the replacement passport.
Note that an ETIAS only covers participating European nations and has no bearing on other non-EU destinations, which set their own entry rules.
What Happens at the Border
A valid ETIAS allows your child to reach the border, but a border guard still decides whether they enter. Your child also passes through the EES, which records their crossing, so it helps to know what happens on arrival.
No Guaranteed Entry
An authorisation lets your child board a flight, bus or ferry, but it does not promise entry. When you reach the border, a guard checks that your child meets the conditions for the visit, as with any traveller.
That check can include seeing the passport used in the application and asking about the trip. A child who does not meet the conditions may be refused entry, regardless of their authorisation.
The EES and Children’s Biometrics
The Entry/Exit System registers non-EU nationals each time they cross the external border of the Schengen zone for a short stay. It records entry and exit and replaces the old passport stamp.
The system collects biometric data, such as facial images and fingerprints. There is an age rule for fingerprints to check for younger children, so confirm what applies to your child’s age before you travel.
This registration applies even to some children who are exempt from ETIAS, since the two systems run on separate rules. So an exempt child can still be recorded when they cross.
Documents to Carry for a Child
Carry the same passport your child used in the application, because the authorisation is linked to that exact document. A different passport means your child can be refused boarding or entry.
You do not need to print the authorisation, as carriers and border guards can see it in the system. A printout is fine for your own reference, but it is not required.
Have supporting documents ready, such as proof of accommodation and evidence of your relationship to the child. Since entry rules can vary, check the European Commission’s guidelines if your trip includes multiple destinations.
Special Situations UK Families Should Plan For
Certain family dynamics require extra planning, as the standard rules don’t cover every situation. School trips, solo travel, split families, and mixed nationalities each have unique requirements, so be sure to check the rules that apply to your child.
School Trips and Exchange Programmes
A short school trip to Europe still requires an ETIAS for each pupil travelling on a UK passport. The school usually coordinates this, but the responsibility for each child’s authorisation sits with their parent or guardian.
Longer study moves are different. A programme running beyond 90 days shifts into visa territory, so a term or year abroad likely needs a student visa rather than an authorisation.
Unaccompanied Minors and Solo Child Travellers
A child travelling without you still needs their own authorisation, applied for by a parent or guardian in the usual way. The child carries the passport used in the application, since the authorisation is tied to that document.
Send supporting papers with them, such as a letter of consent and the contact details of the adult meeting them. These are not part of the authorisation, but a border guard may ask to see them.
Divorced, Separated and Non-Custodial Arrangements
When a child travels with only one parent, a grandparent or another relative, the applying adult must hold parental authority or guardianship. That adult submits the application and keeps the signed authorisation to represent the child.
A parent taking a child abroad without the other parent should carry evidence of the other parent’s consent. Border checks on children in split-family situations can be firm, so have the paperwork ready.
Children who are Family Members of an EU Citizen or of an Icelandic, Liechtenstein, Norwegian or Swiss National
If your child is a family member of an EU citizen or of an Icelandic, Liechtenstein, Norwegian, or Swiss national, they may be exempt from the fee. The exemption depends on the family tie and on the child not holding a qualifying residence card.
Your child must prove this status at the border to keep the exemption. Carry the documents that show the relationship, or your child may be treated as a standard applicant and refused the benefit.
Dual-Nationality and Adopted or Fostered Children
A child who also holds a passport from a country that uses ETIAS does not need authorisation when travelling on that passport. Pick which document your child will use before you book, and stick to it for the whole trip.
For adopted, fostered or kinship-care children, carry the papers that show your authority to travel with them. The rules here mirror those for any child, but the supporting evidence matters more.
ETIAS is Europe’s equivalent to the U.S. visa waiver program. If your trip includes non-EU destinations, check each one separately, as they all enforce their own entry requirements and track travel history.
Get Your Family Trip-Ready Before ETIAS Launches
Three facts carry you through: every UK child needs an ETIAS linked to their passport, a parent or guardian applies for them and under-18s pay no fee.
The rest is simple preparation. Ensure each child’s passport is valid for the required period, apply early once the system goes live in late 2026, and save your confirmation emails and declarations of representation.
Before booking your next European trip, check every family member’s passport dates so nothing catches you out at the border.