Short answer, as of June 2026: no. ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is not running yet. The EU has it scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026, and the exact start date is still to be confirmed. Until it launches you cannot apply, and you should not pay anyone who says you can. This guide covers what ETIAS is, who will need it for a Santorini trip, where the check actually happens, and how to get ready without falling for a copycat website.
Do you need ETIAS to fly to Santorini right now?
No. As of June 2026 ETIAS is not yet in operation, no applications are being collected, and a Santorini trip booked for now or the coming months needs no ETIAS. Greece sits inside the Schengen area, so the rule will apply once the system goes live, but the EU has published only a window so far: the last quarter of 2026, with the precise date confirmed closer to launch.
Two things follow from that. If your flight lands before the launch, travel as normal on a valid passport. And if a website asks you to "register for ETIAS" or pay a fee today, close it; the real system is not open. The EU has also set a transitional period of at least six months after launch, during which visitors without ETIAS are not automatically turned away as long as they meet the other entry conditions, though airlines may still ask to see one during that window. This page is dated so you can match the status to your own travel month rather than trust a number that may have moved, and we will update it once the EU fixes the launch day.
What is ETIAS, and how is it different from EES?
ETIAS is an online travel authorisation you apply for before you fly, much like the US ESTA. It is for visa-exempt non-EU visitors, costs €20 (free for applicants under 18 or over 70), and once approved it stays valid for three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Most applications are approved within minutes, and a single authorisation covers multiple short trips inside the 90-days-in-180 limit. One catch worth noting: if you renew your passport, the old authorisation does not carry over, so a new passport means a new ETIAS even if the three years have not run out.
EES is a separate system, and it is already live. The Entry/Exit System records your passport, facial image, and fingerprints at the border when you arrive, replacing the ink stamp and counting your allowance automatically. It has been fully operational across the Schengen area since 10 April 2026. The simple split: ETIAS is something you arrange before you go, while EES is done to your passport when you land. Our guide to EES at Santorini Airport covers the biometric side in full, so this page stays on the pre-travel half.
Who will need ETIAS for a Santorini trip?
Visa-exempt non-EU nationals. That covers UK passport holders, who have been outside the EU since Brexit, plus the US, Canada, Australia, and around sixty other visa-exempt countries. EU and EEA citizens do not need it, and neither do holders of a valid Schengen visa or residence permit. UK nationals living in an EU country under the Withdrawal Agreement are exempt as well.
Children need their own ETIAS, though the €20 fee is waived for under-18s. For a family flying in from London or New York, that means a separate application for each child, each tied to the child's own passport. Worth keeping straight: ETIAS does not replace the 90-days-in-180 rule, and it is not a visa. It is permission to travel as far as the border, where an officer still makes the final call on entry. ETIAS also covers short stays only, up to 90 days in any 180-day period; if you plan to stay longer, study, or work in Greece, that still needs a national visa or permit, which ETIAS does not provide.
Where the ETIAS check actually happens on a Santorini trip
This is the detail that trips people up, because Santorini Airport is an internal Schengen airport. The check happens at your first point of entry into the Schengen area, which is not always JTR.
- Direct charter from the UK to Santorini: JTR is your first Schengen entry, so ETIAS and EES are checked on arrival at Santorini.
- Connecting through Athens or another EU hub: you clear the border at that first airport, and the short Santorini leg counts as an internal flight with no second passport check.
- Arriving by cruise: stepping off a tender at the Santorini port still counts as entering Schengen, so a visa-exempt cruise passenger will need ETIAS once it is live, even for a few hours ashore.
Knowing which case is yours tells you where to expect the queue. On a direct charter the border is at Santorini Airport arrivals; on a connection the slow point is your hub airport, and the JTR leg is quick. UK summer charters are the group most affected, since Santorini takes a heavy load of direct flights from Britain. Cruise visitors face the same rule on a tighter clock: a short call ashore still counts as a Schengen entry, so once ETIAS is live a missing authorisation could cost a traveller their day in port.
Use only the official ETIAS website, and avoid the copycats
Search results for ETIAS are crowded with commercial sites whose names look official, built around the word "etias" with various endings. Several add an inflated "service fee" on top of the real cost, or invite you to register before the system even opens. The genuine application will run only through the official EU channel at travel-europe.europa.eu. The fee is a flat €20, nothing for under-18s and over-70s, and there is no early sign-up. When the launch date is announced, apply there and nowhere else, and treat any "guaranteed fast-track ETIAS" offer as a markup on a form you can complete yourself in minutes.
How to get ready before ETIAS launches
There is nothing to file yet, but a little preparation saves stress when the system opens. Check that your passport is biometric, less than ten years old, and valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure, since the authorisation links to that document. Bookmark the official EU site, and apply only after the start date is confirmed; with most approvals landing in minutes, there is no advantage to rushing months ahead, but do apply before you leave for the airport rather than at the gate. Budget €20 per adult so a family booking holds no surprises, and apply for every traveller on the trip, children included.
The border is only the first step of an arrival. Peak summer queues at the airport are a separate problem, covered in our guide to arriving at JTR in peak season, and once you are through, a pre-booked car from GetTransfer.com fixes the price and puts a driver at the door for the ride to your hotel. For the rules as they firm up, the EU's official ETIAS overview is the only place worth checking dates.
