ETIAS for children and families: who applies, fees and family members of EU citizens

By Aaron Houston · Last checked 2026-10-26 against official EU sources

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Status as of 2026-10-26: ETIAS is not in operation and no applications are being collected. The EU says it will announce the start date "several months prior to its launch."

Short answer: once ETIAS starts, every traveller who needs one, including babies and children, needs their own ETIAS. Children under 18 pay no fee, and a parent or guardian submits the application.

Do children need their own ETIAS?

Yes. "The ETIAS travel authorisation is issued only to one person and is linked to their travel document. Other persons, including family members, are required to have their own ETIAS travel authorisations" (official FAQ). There are no group applications either.

Who fills in a child's application?

Applications for minors (under 18) "have to be submitted by a person exercising permanent or temporary parental authority or legal guardianship" (official: What you need to apply).

How much does ETIAS cost for a family?

Traveller	Fee
Under 18	Free
18 to 70	EUR 20
Over 70	Free
Qualifying family member of an EU citizen (see below)	Free

Source: official FAQ. Example: two parents aged 40 and two children aged 8 and 12 pay 2 × EUR 20 = EUR 40. The fee is non-refundable.

Can a travel agent apply for the whole family?

Yes, but each traveller needs a separate declaration of representation. The EU's own example: a family of two parents, two children and a disabled person under legal guardianship needs five separate declarations (official: Applying on behalf of others). Keep a signed copy.

Watch for extra fees. Applying officially costs EUR 20, and anything on top goes to the intermediary. See official site vs third-party sites.

Which email address should I use for my child?

The EU stresses using an email address the traveller "personally" has access to, since it's used for all communication during the ETIAS's validity (FAQ, applying on behalf of others).

Unconfirmed: whether a parent can use one email address for several children's applications. The official pages don't address this. Use an address the parent or guardian actively checks.

What happens when my child turns 18?

Nothing. "An ETIAS travel authorisation is valid until its expiry, regardless of the age of the person it was issued to" (FAQ). It still lasts 3 years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. Children's passports often expire sooner, and a new passport means a new ETIAS. See validity and processing time.

Can I save a half-finished application while I gather the kids' passports?

Yes. A draft is stored for 48 hours, then deleted automatically (FAQ).

I'm married to an EU citizen. Do I still need ETIAS?

Possibly, but with family-member status you may pay no fee and skip the illegal-immigration screening. Under the FAQ, family members include:

a spouse (including a same-sex spouse)
a registered partner, where the law treats it as equivalent to marriage
direct descendants under 21 or dependent, and those of the spouse or partner
dependent direct relatives in the ascending line (for example parents), and those of the spouse or partner

You qualify only if all of these apply: Directive 2004/38/EC applies to you (generally, your EU relative is living in or travelling to an EU country other than their own), you don't need a visa, and you don't hold an EU residence card or residence permit.

Official examples:

A Mexican citizen married to a French national, visiting her in France where she lives, does not qualify, because the directive doesn't apply there. Apply normally and pay EUR 20.
A 19-year-old American whose father is French and lives in Spain may declare family-member status for Spain (no fee) and must prove it at the Spanish border. That ETIAS isn't valid for France. For France he'd need a regular ETIAS.

Falsely declaring family-member status can lead to revocation and refusal at the border.

What about school trips?

Some pupils who normally need a visa can travel on an ETIAS for a school trip. This applies if they reside in a visa-exempt country and the countries they're visiting exempt school groups from the visa requirement. The FAQ points to an official spreadsheet to check each country (FAQ).

Family checklist

Confirm each person needs ETIAS: who needs ETIAS.
Check every passport is valid more than 3 months after you leave and was issued within the last 10 years.
Apply for each person separately on the official site, with a parent or guardian applying for minors.
Pay EUR 20 only for travellers aged 18 to 70.
Apply before booking where possible. Most decisions take minutes but can take up to 30 days.

Want it on one page? ETIAS & EES Europe travel checklist ($7, optional). ETIAS itself is EUR 20 only on the official EU site.