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Open question · asked every run

Do I need ETIAS for Paris?

The right answer No: ETIAS isn't running yet, so there's nothing to apply for.

Checked against the EU's official ETIAS site on Mon 12 Oct 2026

16 of 18 tries right in run 1 six apps · three tries each · Sat 3 Oct 2026

  • ChatGPT
  • Claude
  • Copilot
  • Gemini
  • Grok
  • Perplexity

Every answer that came back was right.

  • ChatGPT: 3 of 3 right
  • Claude: 3 of 3 right
  • Copilot: 3 of 3 right
  • Gemini: 3 of 3 right
  • Grok: 1 of 3 right
  • Perplexity: 3 of 3 right

Our view

The EU said UK travellers would need ETIAS from this autumn and it still isn't running, so the answer to be wary of is the official-sounding one telling you to apply.

Tip: Ask whether you can apply for it today. Until the EU's own site says yes, there's nothing to pay for.

dixon.ai, after run 1, Sat 3 Oct 2026

The official line

“ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point.”

“The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch.”

The EU's official ETIAS site

Last read by us on Mon 12 Oct 2026. We read it before and after every run, and the key follows the page.

What we asked, word for word

I'm a British citizen with only a UK passport. I'm flying from London to Paris next weekend for a short holiday. Do I need to apply for ETIAS before I go?

The same words to all six apps, three times each, in fresh chats, with no follow-up. This question is open: its wording, every answer and the key are published every run.

Why this one can trip an AI

The EU itself said in April 2026 that UK nationals would need ETIAS from the last quarter of the year. That quarter began on 1 October, and the EU's ETIAS site still says it isn't running.

So an app that finds the April article can tell you to apply now, with an official EU page as its source. It sounds like the most careful answer in the room.

“Starting from the last quarter of this year, nationals of the United Kingdom will be required to have an ETIAS travel authorisation when travelling to Europe.”

The EU, UK nationals and ETIAS (April 2026) Read on Mon 12 Oct 2026

One answer, as captured: Copilot, run 1, try 1

Copilot's answer, as captured: No ETIAS needed: not in operation; listed passport rules and mentioned EES biometrics at the border.
Our summary: No ETIAS needed: not in operation; listed passport rules and mentioned EES biometrics at the border. The full answer, in words

Run 1 · Sat 3 Oct 2026

What each app said, in its own words

16 of 18 tries right. The other two, both Grok's, came back empty (its own error message).

The pilot: the apps were on the plans we had that day, shown by each name. From run 2, every app is on its free plan.

  1. ChatGPT logged out 3 of 3 right

    No. For your trip next weekend (10–11 October 2026), you do not need to apply for ETIAS. ... ETIAS is not currently required because the system hasn't started.

    ChatGPT, try 1, as captured
  2. Claude paid: Max 3 of 3 right

    No, you don't need ETIAS for this trip, because it isn't running yet and there's nothing to apply for.

    Claude, try 1, as captured
  3. Copilot 3 of 3 right

    No. As things stand, you do not need to apply for ETIAS before flying from London to Paris next weekend. ... the ETIAS system is not yet in operation and applications are not currently being accepted.

    Copilot, try 1, as captured
  4. Gemini free 3 of 3 right

    No, you do not need to apply for ETIAS before your trip. ... ETIAS (the European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is not operational yet.

    Gemini, try 1, as captured
  5. Grok free 1 of 3 right

    Your trip next weekend: It is not required yet. You can travel without it immediately ... Bottom line: You do need ETIAS, but not yet.

    Grok, try 1, as captured
  6. Perplexity paid: Pro 3 of 3 right

    No — you don’t need to apply for ETIAS for a trip next weekend, because the system is not yet in operation and no applications are being accepted.

    Perplexity, try 1, as captured

What else we noticed

  • Grok, try 1, got the answer right but said in passing: “if the system is live by then, you must have an approved ETIAS before boarding (or at the latest before entry). Airlines will check for it, and without authorisation you could be refused entry.” The EU says the launch comes with a transition of at least six months, when travellers without one are not turned away if they meet the other rules.
  • 13 of the 16 answers mentioned the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES).
  • 9 of the 16 answers cited an ETIAS page that is not the EU's or GOV.UK's.
  • Gemini's first try listed five sources, every one labelled “Jetpac eSIM”. Right answer, unusual library.

Every answer to this question in run 1, with screenshots

Your turn

Asking an AI something like this?

  1. Ask whether it's running today, not whether it's coming. Announced and started are different days.
  2. Check the EU's own ETIAS page, on europa.eu, before you pay anyone. Until ETIAS starts, there's nothing real to buy.
  3. Look at what the sources are. A travel blog can be right; the official page is the one that decides.