--- title: This New 'Visa Waiver' Scam Targets Travelers Planning Trips to Europe description: Fraudsters are taking advantage of confusion around the delayed ETIAS to scam Europe-bound travelers. The truth? ETIAS hasn't launched yet. authors: - name: Gabriel O. Rodriguez Cruz role: Associate Editor url: https://money.com/author/gabriel-rodriguez/ bio: Gabriel Rodríguez is an editor at Money who covers financial technology and digital security. His two main topics of expertise are identity theft protection services and crypto, specifically crypto wallet and crypto exchanges. education: University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras at_money_since: 2018 articles: 110 covers: - Identity Theft - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Economy and Politics - Housing - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-rodriguez-cruz/ editors: - name: Julia Glum role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/julia-glum/ bio: Julia Glum joined Money in 2018 and specializes in covering financial trends that affect everyday Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2018 articles: 454 covers: - Identity Theft - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - Newsweek - International Business Times - CBS News - Good Morning America - WUSA9 - Pix 11 - The New York Times - Mashable - The Washington Post - CNBC - Politico social: - https://x.com/superjulia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-glum published: '2026-10-23T18:31:08.000Z' modified: '2026-10-23T18:31:08.000Z' section: Identity Theft tags: - News word_count: 524 canonical: https://money.com/europe-travel-authorization-scam-etias/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Hand holding a phone with a big Red exclamation point, with a broken lock, money, and credit cards in the background](https://img.money.com/2026/10/Scam-Alert-V6.jpg) Scammers are trying to sell travelers something they can't actually buy yet: permission to visit Europe. While the European Union's upcoming travel authorization requirement has been delayed until at least 2027, more than [150 fraudulent websites were found advertising advance applications](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/13/britons-travelling-to-europe-told-not-to-apply-for-delayed-etias-visa-waiver) to the program, according to a recent report from *The Guardian*. Americans who are unaware of the delay might apply through one of these sites, forfeiting their money and personal information. Under the to-be-launched European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), travelers from dozens of visa-exempt nations — including the United States — will need to obtain electronic authorization before entering 30 participating European countries. That includes common destinations like France, Italy, Spain and Germany, which collectively see about 24 million Americans visit every year. The authorization will allow short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period and remain valid for three years or until the traveler's passport expires. Once the program launches, applications will cost €20 (approximately $23) through the official European Union website. Travelers under 18 and over 70 will be exempt from the fee. With confusion surrounding the program's launch date, fraudsters are taking advantage of the uncertainty to lure travelers into scams. Some of the websites where you can supposedly buy an ETIAS waiver closely resemble official EU government pages, using convincing web addresses, government-style layouts and even copyrighted EU materials to appear legitimate. Others provide misleading information about travel requirements or create a false sense of urgency, encouraging travelers to apply early. The financial risks of applying for a travel authorization that doesn't exist yet extend beyond losing 20-something bucks. Fraudulent operators may charge exorbitant processing fees while collecting sensitive information, including passport details and credit card numbers, that could be used for identity theft or additional financial fraud. But not every third-party ETIAS website is necessarily fraudulent. Legitimate commercial intermediaries will eventually be allowed to submit applications on travelers' behalf, although they may charge additional fees. For now, however, no company can legitimately obtain an ETIAS authorization. ## How to avoid ETIAS waiver scams The most important precaution is to avoid paying for an ETIAS authorization until the program officially launches. Any website claiming it can secure your approval now is misleading you. For updates on the program, visit the [official ETIAS website](https://europa.eu/etias). Once applications open, travelers will be able to apply directly through that site without paying unnecessary third-party processing fees. Be wary of lookalike web addresses, even if they feature official-looking logos or government branding. Travelers should also remember that ETIAS is separate from the United Kingdom's existing electronic travel authorization (ETA), which has its own application requirements and costs £20, or about $27. If you've already paid a suspicious website, contact your credit card issuer to dispute the charge and ask whether your card should be replaced. And if you've shared sensitive personal information, visit [IdentityTheft.gov](https://www.identitytheft.gov/) for guidance on protecting yourself against identity theft. For now, remember that Americans traveling to participating European countries don't need an ETIAS authorization. The safest move is to wait for the official launch rather than pay a third party for a head start that doesn't exist. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/europe-travel-authorization-scam-etias/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Identity Theft", "item": "https://money.com/identity-theft/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Scams", "item": "https://money.com/scams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This New 'Visa Waiver' Scam Targets Travelers Planning Trips to Europe" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/europe-travel-authorization-scam-etias/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/europe-travel-authorization-scam-etias/", "name": "This New 'Visa Waiver' Scam Targets Travelers Planning Trips to Europe", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2026-10-23T18:31:08.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/europe-travel-authorization-scam-etias/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/europe-travel-authorization-scam-etias/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2026-10-23T18:31:08.000Z" }, { "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "This New 'Visa Waiver' Scam Targets Travelers Planning Trips to Europe", "articleSection": "Identity Theft", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2026/10/Scam-Alert-V6.jpg", "width": 1488, "height": 992, "caption": "Scam-Alert-V6" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gabriel O. 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