Do this now, not in August
Passports, visas and paperwork
Open both passports today
Two conditions must both hold on the day you enter Schengen. Issued on or after 12 September 2016, because the passport must be less than ten years old. And expiring on or after 26 December 2026, because it must stay valid three months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area. Australian passports run ten years, so the second condition is the one that catches people.
If either fails, renew now. Standard processing runs about six weeks, so apply by early August. After mid-August you are paying for priority. Do not leave this past the end of August.
ETIAS: not running, and nothing to apply for
As of 21 July 2026 the European Commission's own page states that ETIAS "is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point," and that the EU will give several months' notice before it launches. Two months out from your departure with no announcement made, it will almost certainly not apply to this trip. The EU's published timeline puts the start in the last quarter of 2026, and the promised notice period means it could not begin before roughly late January 2027 even if announced today. Smartraveller says the same: due towards the end of 2026, applications not yet open. Treat it as very unlikely rather than impossible, and re-check the official page once in mid-August.
Do not pay anyone for an ETIAS. Commercial sites sell applications that cannot exist, because the system accepts none. When it does launch the fee will be €20 through the official EU site only.
EES: fully operational, and this one is real
The Entry/Exit System reached full operation at all Schengen external borders on 10 April 2026. Passport stamping has been replaced by a biometric record: four fingerprints and a facial image, recorded on first entry and held for three years.
Brussels on 12 September is where you enrol. It takes a few minutes each and happens once. Allow a full extra hour on arrival beyond what you would have budgeted before EES, because you land into a bank of long-haul arrivals all enrolling at the same time. On the way out of Barcelona, get to T1 three hours before a long-haul departure, since exit is now a biometric check too.
Jeannine will not be with you at the border. As a Dutch citizen she uses the EU/EEA lanes and EES does not apply to her at all. Agree a meeting point past customs before you land, because you will be separated for an hour or more.
Qatar transit
Airside transit at Doha needs nothing for Australian passport holders. Both connections are same-terminal at Hamad with no immigration to re-clear. If you carry prescription medication, keep it in original labelled packaging with a copy of the prescription: Qatar restricts several medicines that are unremarkable in Australia.