infinitelaws · EU AI Act · applicability timeline

What applies when

The AI Act does not kick in all at once — obligations apply in stages between 2025 and 2030, and the Digital Omnibus amendment has shifted several dates. Here is the full schedule in one place, linked to the affected provisions.

1. August 1, 2024applicable

   Entry into force

   The AI Act entered into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the EU Official Journal. Obligations phase in gradually from this date (Article 113).

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 113
2. February 2, 2025applicable

   General provisions and prohibited practices

   Chapters I and II became applicable: subject matter and scope, definitions (Article 3), AI literacy (Article 4) and the bans on unacceptable AI practices (Article 5) — e.g. manipulative techniques, social scoring or untargeted scraping of facial images. The amendment carves out the new prohibitions in Article 5(1), points (ba) and (bb), and Article 5(1a) and (1b); those apply only from 2 December 2026.

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 1–4
   • Art. 5
3. August 2, 2025applicable

   General-purpose AI, governance and penalties

   Rules for general-purpose AI models (Chapter V), notified bodies (Chapter III Section 4), EU and national governance (Chapter VII), confidentiality (Article 78) and penalties (Articles 99–100) became applicable.

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 28–39
   • Art. 51–56
   • Art. 64–70
   • Art. 78
   • Art. 99–100
4. July 27, 2026August 2, 2026Ω Omnibusapplicable

   Amendment in force; Articles 102–110 apply

   The Digital Omnibus amendment entered into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal (Article 4 of the amendment). From that same day, under the new Article 113, third paragraph, point (d), Articles 102–110 of the AI Act apply — the amendments to other Union acts — six days ahead of the general date of application.

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 102–110
   • Art. 113
5. August 2, 2026applicable

   General date of application

   The rest of the Act applies — including transparency towards people (Article 50), regulatory sandboxes (Articles 57–63), market surveillance and enforcement (Chapter IX), penalties under Article 101 and transitional provisions (Article 111). From Chapter III only Article 6(5) (Commission classification guidelines) applies on this date; the remaining high-risk obligations are deferred by the amendment (see below).

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 6
   • Art. 7
   • Art. 40–49
   • Art. 50
   • Art. 57–63
   • Art. 71–77
   • Art. 79–98
   • Art. 101
   • Art. 111
   • Art. 112
6. TodayAugust 27, 2026
   December 2, 2026Ω Omnibusupcoming

   New prohibitions and AI-content marking

   Under the amendment, AI systems generating non-consensual intimate material (so-called nudifier apps) and CSAM are prohibited (Article 5(1), points (ba) and (bb)). The transition for machine-readable marking of AI content also ends — systems placed on the market before 2 August 2026 must meet Article 50(2) by this date (Article 111(4)).

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 5
   • Art. 50
   • Art. 111
7. August 2, 2027August 2, 2026Ω Omnibusupcoming

   National sandboxes; legacy general-purpose AI

   At least one national regulatory sandbox must be operational — the amendment moved this deadline from 2 August 2026 by a year (Article 57(1)); the struck-through date refers to it. On the same day, general-purpose AI models placed on the market before 2 August 2025 must comply (Article 111(3)) — that deadline is the original one and the amendment leaves it unchanged.

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 57
   • Art. 111
8. December 2, 2027August 2, 2026Ω Omnibusupcoming

   High-risk systems (Annex III)

   Obligations apply for stand-alone high-risk AI systems under Annex III — biometrics, critical infrastructure, education, employment, public services, law enforcement, migration and justice (Chapter III Sections 1–3, including classification under Article 6).

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 6–27
   • Annex III
9. August 2, 2028August 2, 2027Ω Omnibusupcoming

   High-risk systems (Annex I)

   Obligations apply for AI systems that are safety components of products covered by the sectoral legislation in Annex I — e.g. machinery, toys, medical devices or vehicles (Article 6(1)).

   Affected provisions

   • Art. 6
   • Annex I
10. August 2, 2030upcoming

    Legacy systems of public authorities

    Providers and deployers of high-risk AI systems intended to be used by public authorities must bring them into compliance (Article 111(2)). For other legacy systems the amendment ties the cut-off to the date of application of Chapter III — the Act catches them only if they undergo significant changes in their design after that date.

    Affected provisions

    • Art. 111
11. December 31, 2030upcoming

    Large-scale EU information systems

    AI systems that are components of the large-scale EU information systems listed in Annex X and were placed on the market before 2 August 2027 must comply by the end of 2030 (Article 111(1)).

    Affected provisions

    • Art. 111
    • Annex X