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🛂 ID card, passport, ETA, EES and ETIAS

Which document you need, what EES and ETIAS mean for Germans and what applies to Great Britain.

passport ID card ETIAS EES ETA Great Britain visa Schengen entry

In brief

In the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, an ID card (Personalausweis) is usually enough. The Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) also names Turkey. For most other countries you need a passport.

  • EES (Entry/Exit System): records third-country nationals at the Schengen external borders. EU citizens are exempt.
  • ETIAS: travel authorisation for third-country nationals. It does not apply to Germans. A start date is open.
  • United Kingdom: you need a passport and an ETA (£20). An ID card is generally not enough (exception: school groups, see below).

Check your destination with the Auswärtiges Amt before every trip.

Step by step

  1. Check the destinationLook at the travel and safety advice of the Auswärtiges Amt.
  2. Check validityCheck whether your ID card or passport is valid for the destination and the length of stay.
  3. Apply for the ETAFor the United Kingdom, apply in good time, at least 3 working days before, via the app or GOV.UK.
  4. Make copiesKeep separate copies and photos of the documents.

Deadlines

3 working days
Minimum lead time for applying for the United Kingdom ETAAuswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise Vereinigtes Königreich
£20
ETA fee (since 8 April 2026), valid 2 years or until the passport expires, stay of up to 6 months per entryAuswärtiges Amt, Vereinigtes Königreich
€20
ETIAS fee for third-country nationalsEuronews, 8 July 2026 (start still open)
Watch out – common mistakes
  • ETIAS has not yet started; the official EU site no longer gives a start date, the start is to be announced months in advance (reports: 2027).
  • For ETIAS, a six-month transition phase is planned according to a report.
  • The child passport (Kinderreisepass) was abolished on 1 January 2024; those issued earlier remain valid until the printed date.
  • Visa and entry rules for countries outside Europe: not checked; see the Auswärtiges Amt.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

ID card or passport

According to the Auswärtiges Amt, the ID card is sufficient for travel to the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein as well as Turkey. Passports are valid for 10 years for adults, 6 years for those under 24. If lost abroad, embassies and consulates can issue travel documents for the return journey; a loss report to the police is required. Passport fee: €70 from age 24 (below that €37.50); abroad €101 in total (including a €31 surcharge for issue abroad).

EES

The EES records entries and exits of third-country nationals entitled to a short stay, including biometric data. Exempt are, among others, nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. The EES started on 12 October 2025 and has been in full operation since 10 April 2026; reports mention long waiting times.

ETIAS

ETIAS concerns travellers from visa-exempt third countries (around 60 countries), €20 per applicant, with exceptions for those under 18 and over 70. The official EU site no longer gives a start date; the start is to be announced months in advance. Reports mention 2027 (Financial Times via Euronews); an EU-Lisa representative considered a start by the end of the year not feasible.

United Kingdom

According to the Auswärtiges Amt, Germans need an ETA; entry with an ID card is in principle not possible. From 1 August 2026, the German School Group Travel Scheme applies: school groups of 5 or more people up to age 19 travel with a national ID card without an ETA and visa; accompanying persons need a passport and ETA.

Who is responsible
  • Auswärtiges Amt (travel and safety advice)
  • Bürgeramt (citizens' office)/passport and ID authority (documents)
  • Embassy/consulate abroad (replacement document)
Further reading
Travelling with children and animalsTravel warnings, crisis preparedness, Auswärtiges AmtCustoms: what you may bring back

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „ID card, passport, ETA, EES and ETIAS“?
Which document you need, what EES and ETIAS mean for Germans and what applies to Great Britain.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • 3 working days: Minimum lead time for applying for the United Kingdom ETA (Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise Vereinigtes Königreich)
  • £20: ETA fee (since 8 April 2026), valid 2 years or until the passport expires, stay of up to 6 months per entry (Auswärtiges Amt, Vereinigtes Königreich)
  • €20: ETIAS fee for third-country nationals (Euronews, 8 July 2026 (start still open))
What should I do first?
  • Check the destination: Look at the travel and safety advice of the Auswärtiges Amt.
  • Check validity: Check whether your ID card or passport is valid for the destination and the length of stay.
  • Apply for the ETA: For the United Kingdom, apply in good time, at least 3 working days before, via the app or GOV.UK.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • ETIAS has not yet started; the official EU site no longer gives a start date, the start is to be announced months in advance (reports: 2027).
  • For ETIAS, a six-month transition phase is planned according to a report.
  • The child passport (Kinderreisepass) was abolished on 1 January 2024; those issued earlier remain valid until the printed date.
Evidence
  • Auswärtiges Amt, Reisepässe und Personalausweise, retrieved 21 September 2026
  • Auswärtiges Amt, Vereinigtes Königreich: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise, retrieved 21 September 2026
  • Euronews, ETIAS: After EES chaos (8 July 2026), retrieved 21 September 2026
  • BMI, Pressemitteilung EES (search result; page not retrievable), retrieved 21 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.