When do the EU AI Act rules apply?
In stages. Bans on prohibited practices and AI literacy duties apply from 2 February 2025, general-purpose AI model rules from 2 August 2025, and most other rules, including transparency duties, from 2 August 2026. After the 2026 Digital Omnibus, the high-risk rules apply from 2 December 2027 for Annex III systems and 2 August 2028 for Annex I systems.
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The dates, in order
- 12 February 2025: Chapters I and II apply, including the prohibited practices in Article 5 and AI literacy.
- 22 August 2025: rules for general-purpose AI models, governance, penalties and confidentiality.
- 32 August 2026: the general date of application, including Article 50 transparency duties such as telling people they are talking to an AI.
- 42 December 2026: new bans added by the Digital Omnibus on AI that generates non-consensual intimate images of identifiable people or child sexual abuse material. Providers of generative systems already on the market before 2 August 2026 must also meet the Article 50(2) marking duty by this date.
- 52 December 2027: high-risk rules for systems in the Annex III areas, such as hiring, credit, education and essential services.
- 62 August 2028: high-risk rules for AI that is a safety component of products under the Annex I laws, such as machinery.
Why the high-risk dates moved
The original Act set 2 August 2026 for Annex III and 2 August 2027 for Annex I. Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, the Digital Omnibus on AI, moved them because standards, guidance and national authorities were not ready in time. If you plan a high-risk system, these are the dates to build towards.
What to do now
Find out which class your system falls in, check that nothing is prohibited, and add transparency features now, since those apply from August 2026. For high-risk systems, start on logging, human oversight, documentation and evaluation during the build: they are hard to add later.
Check it for your case.
Read the official text.
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, the AI Act (Official Journal)checked 2026-10-25
- Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, Digital Omnibus on AI (Official Journal)checked 2026-10-25
- European Commission, AI Act overviewchecked 2026-10-25
Common follow-up questions.
Did the Digital Omnibus delay everything?
No. It moved the high-risk dates and adjusted some details. The bans, the general-purpose AI rules and the August 2026 general date stand.
Does the Act apply to systems already on the market?
Partly. High-risk systems placed on the market before the high-risk rules apply are mostly caught only if they later change significantly, with stricter rules for systems used by public authorities. Check Article 111 as amended.
Where can I check my system's class?
Use our EU AI Act risk checker for a first pass, then confirm with the official text or a lawyer.
Related questions and guides.
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- EU AI Act guideRisk classes, duties and the current dates.
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