Travelling to Europe is about to get more complicated — and personal.

Canadians are already restricted by the Schengen rules, which limit stays in 29 countries to 90 days out of any 180-day period. A one-two punch is now following in 2026.

A new entry-exit system introduces a dramatic change in the physical border system in Schengen countries. Schengen member countries include 25 European Union members along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland and its intent is to remove the need for internal borders by having common entry and exit requirements. The United Kingdom is not part of this agreement.

Physical passport stamping by border agents is being replaced over a six-month period that started in October 2025 by automated control gates, which involves a digital record and the use of biometric screening for most non-EU travellers. The biometric data being collected includes fingerprints and facial images. Its automatic tracking system also measures the length of visitors’ stays. It’s a process that centres around border control and requires no advance planning by travellers.
 

Advance work required

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will follow. It is expected to be launched in the last quarter of 2026, and this is where travellers are required to do some advance work. ETIAS requires visa-exempt visitors, including those from Canada, to apply for a three-year authorization to enter the 29 countries that belong to the Schengen Area, plus Cyprus. The application, which costs 20 euros, or about C$32, asks for personal information, including address, passport details, current occupation and information about past travel to conflict zones or criminal convictions. The European travel authority suggests travellers file the application well in advance of starting their trip to Europe. Failing to fill out the form prior to hitting the road, or rather the air or the seas, can result in refused entry.

The United Kingdom launched a similar application last August called the Electronic Travel Authorisation and it costs 16 pounds or about C$30. Canada has long required international visitors to complete an electronic travel authorization application, having introduced it in 2015. Canada charges $7 and it’s good for five years.

“When planning any travel abroad, whether independently or as part of a tour, Canadians should always do their own research on the countries they’re visiting,” says Moxey Munch, a Canadian travel content creator from Dartmouth, N.S. She suggests going to official government sources to determine the requirements of any specific country. Canada’s travel.gc.ca website also links directly to the official sites for access to accurate and current requirements. A little preparation goes a long way in avoiding stress at the airport or port, she adds. “An informed traveller is a happy traveller.”

While airlines often provide general messaging and information, it’s ultimately the travellers’ responsibility to be prepared, she warns. A traveller not fulfilling the requirements could be denied boarding or entry into that country. Travellers could ultimately be forced to turn around, at their own expense. Travel insurance likely won’t help cover losses in these situations.

Photos and fingerprints will become part of the traveller’s digital record and will be kept on file for three years, meaning that information won’t have to be collected again for travellers returning within that period.

“There’s no more stamping the passport book. That’s history. It’s going to be facial recognition to get you in,” Canadian travel expert Marty Firestone says. “The biometrics and the fingerprints are just months away in 29 countries.

“It’s becoming a lot more difficult to travel…. It is wise to be knowledgeable.”

Firestone notes a decrease in Canadians travelling to the United States and an increase in those bound for Europe. The new process, he adds, will be a noticeable change. He points out that there is concern that sharing biometric information may compromise privacy rights, although Europe is not the first to implement this kind of system and the collection of photographs and fingerprints may well be the future of life as a traveller.

Federal Retirees members George Cossey and his wife Bronwen flew to Paris in October and encountered limited passport scanning that had just started. Bronwen had no issues; but none of the scanners could read George's passport, so he had to queue. It took an hour before he reached the start of the line, but he was cleared in seconds once he did see someone.

“The good thing about the EU is once in, travel between countries is a breeze,” George says. “We flew to Rome [later on this trip and encountered] no security screening.”

The Cosseys are avid cruisers, having taken 30 such trips, 14 of which were in Europe, including one in Norway and several in the Mediterranean.
 

Not just Europe

Other countries, including the United States, Australia and several in Asia, have already started collecting fingerprints or facial data of travellers. China, for example, still stamps passports, but it also collects fingerprints and mug shots.

The new European system tracks overstays and is intended to provide increasingly reliable information about traveller movements and possible overstays as it becomes fully operational. And although it is meant to make the process easier through automation, it is about security, Firestone says.

“Border officers make the final decision on whether you may enter or remain in a country, and the Government of Canada cannot intervene if you do not meet the entry or exit requirements of your destination,” the Canadian government warns on its website, suggesting that Canadians adequately plan for the new requirements and track their days while in Europe.

Canadians planning travel to Europe should keep checking the official travel-europe.europa.eu website to confirm whether their trip falls before or after ETIAS comes into effect.