ETIAS validity: three years, passport expiry, and short-stay limits
An ETIAS travel authorisation is expected to be valid for up to three years or until the linked passport expires, whichever happens first. It can support repeated qualifying trips, but it does not create three years of residence or extend the short-stay limit. A replacement passport needs a new ETIAS because the authorisation is linked to the document used in the application.
Current position
Published validity rules — applications still closed
Use these rules for preparation, then recheck the official wording when the system opens.
Maximum validity
Up to 3 years
It may end earlier.
Early end trigger
Passport expiry
The linked document controls validity.
New passport
New ETIAS
The old authorisation does not transfer.
Stay allowance
Still 90/180
ETIAS does not add permitted days.
The whichever-comes-first rule
Treat ETIAS validity as the shorter of the authorization period and the passport's life.
- Passport valid for four more years
- ETIAS could reach its three-year maximum, subject to the official decision and continued conditions.
- Passport expires in fourteen months
- ETIAS would end with that passport rather than continue for three years.
- Passport replaced early
- A new application is needed for the new document, even if the old authorisation date had not passed.
Repeated trips do not reset the short-stay clock
A valid ETIAS can be reused for qualifying visits, but every stay still sits inside the applicable day-count rules.
- Count days across participating Schengen-area stays within the rolling period.
- A border exit and re-entry does not automatically create another 90 days.
- Work, residence, and long-term study normally need a different permission route.
- Use the official short-stay calculator or rules for a complex itinerary.
Name, passport, and document changes
The document presented to the carrier and border must align with the active authorisation.
- New passport number
- Plan for a new ETIAS after the system opens.
- Name change with replacement passport
- Use the new document and a new linked authorisation.
- Dual nationality
- Apply and travel on the same selected passport; check whether the other nationality creates an exemption.
Validity is not a border-entry guarantee
A valid authorisation is one pre-travel condition, not the final border decision.
Carriers and border guards can still check the passport, purpose, funds, accommodation, return plans, and other entry conditions.
Primary-source record
Official sources checked for this guide
Source checks are recorded separately from build dates. ETIAS Connect is independent and links directly to the controlling EU material.
Found a factual issue? Use the corrections route or email assistance@etiasconnect.eu with the page URL and source evidence.
Frequently asked questions
How long is ETIAS valid?
Up to three years or until the linked passport expires, whichever comes first.
Does a new passport keep the old ETIAS?
No. The authorisation is linked to the passport, so a replacement document needs a new application.
Can I stay for three years?
No. ETIAS validity does not replace the applicable short-stay limit, such as 90 days in a rolling 180-day period.
Does a valid ETIAS guarantee entry?
No. Border authorities still decide whether all entry conditions are met.