EES and ETIAS for UAE nationals and residents

EES records who enters and leaves the Schengen area. ETIAS will be a travel authorisation for travellers who do not need a visa. Neither is insurance, and the official EES and ETIAS pages do not mention insurance. Insurance rules sit in the visa rules, set out in the Schengen visa insurance guide.

What happens to you at the border under EES?

Your passport is no longer stamped. Since 10 April 2026, EES has registered your name, travel document, biometrics, and the date and place of each entry and exit at all external Schengen border crossings. It also records refusals of entry.¹ It applies to non-EU nationals on a short stay of up to 90 days in 180, with or without a visa.²

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EES covers 29 European countries, and the 90 days in 180 count once across all of them. It does not change the short-stay rules.² UAE nationals can stay visa free for 90 days in any 180 under the 2015 EU-UAE agreement.³

The Guardian reported on 6 September 2026 that travellers faced renewed queues as the flexibility rules on EES checks expired, and that numerous sources indicated some Member States would not enforce the biometric checks.⁴

Use the official Check how long you can stay tool before a long trip. Questions about your record go to the country where you last entered or left. If you have not visited since 10 April 2026, ask the country you plan to visit.²

Will you need ETIAS?

Not yet. The official site says ETIAS “is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point”. The EU will give the date several months before launch.⁵

Once it starts, UAE nationals will need it, because the UAE is on the list of visa-exempt countries whose nationals need ETIAS. It will apply in 30 European countries, including Cyprus.⁶

ETIAS follows your nationality, not your UAE residence. People who hold a residence permit or residence card of an ETIAS country, a uniform visa or a national long-stay visa are listed as not needing ETIAS, with exceptions. The official lists do not name a UAE residence permit as an exemption from EES or ETIAS.⁶

If you also hold the passport of a European country that requires ETIAS, you must travel on that passport.⁶

What will ETIAS cost and how long will it last?

EUR 20, valid for three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Travellers under 18 or over 70 do not pay.⁷

Sources for Table 3

Fee and validity from the ETIAS FAQ.⁷ The two periods from the timeline article.⁸

For at least six months after launch, you will not be refused entry for not having ETIAS if you meet the other conditions.⁸

The small print

• EES dates and law. The official FAQ gives 9 April and 10 April 2026, describes a six-month rollout, and names Regulations 2017/2226 and 2025/1534 as the legal base. It says EES has been fully operational at all external border crossing points since 10 April 2026.²
• EES in practice. The Guardian reported on 6 September 2026 that the period in which countries could pause EES checks ended that day and was not extended. It reported that numerous sources, including a senior airline source, indicated some Member States would not enforce biometric checks. It quoted an ABTA director saying there is “still some way to go until EES is fully and consistently operational”, and a Commission spokesperson speaking of a few border crossing points needing adjustment.⁴
• ETIAS start. A Travel to Europe article of 13 April 2025 says ETIAS is expected in the last quarter of 2026.⁹ The ETIAS home page and FAQ, as of 4 November 2026, give no quarter and say the date will be announced several months before launch.⁵ Both are on the same official site.
• Insurance. The word insurance does not appear on the EES FAQ, the EES Commission page, the ETIAS FAQ or the ETIAS who-should-apply page.²¹⁷⁶