ETIAS in 2026-2027: Apply Before Booking Flights/Hotels

I wanted to cross-post this thread, but seems like it was deleted a while back. I'm surprised how often people still aren't aware of this upcoming requirement for travel to Europe. Here's the official FAQ from the EU website.

Starting at the end of 2026 (but likely 2027 as I find these things always have a little delay in the rollout), Americans, Canadians, Japanese -- any citizens of visa-exempt countries -- will have to apply for a new travel document prior to arrival in the Schengen (+) Zone .

No more just buying a plane ticket and showing up in Italy! You'll need to answer questions like whether or not you're a criminal (try not to get this one wrong?), pay 20€ (up from previously stated 7€), and wait a little bit for processing. Most decisions will be rendered "within minutes," but if anything in your documents trigger a review you may have to answer questions via an interview which could take up to 30 days.

Their recommendation is to apply before booking flights/hotels, just in case your document is delayed or denied you're not on the hook for a bunch of expensive travel.