European Travel Information and Authorisation System

ETIAS Area
The Schengen Area
Map of Europe
  Schengen Area
  Schengen Area (air and maritime borders only)
  Countries with open borders but not part of the Schengen Area or the EU
  Member of the EU committed by treaty to join the Schengen Area, but not yet a member
Policy of European Union
TypeElectronic travel authorisation system area
Expected implementationMid 2025
Applicable countries
30 countries
+4 countries and 1 territory indirectly
Dimitris Avramopoulos at the press conference in Brussels for the proposal for ETIAS

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a planned electronic authorisation system of the European Union for visa-exempt visitors travelling to the Schengen Area (including EFTA countries), as well as Cyprus. ETIAS is planned to cost €7 for 3 years validity or until the expiry of the passport, whichever is sooner.[1] As of August 2024, the ETIAS is planned to come into force by May 2025 with a planned six-month transition period.[2][3][4][5][6]

According to the European Commission, it is planned to be implemented "for the identification of security, irregular migration or high epidemic risks posed by visa-exempt visitors."[7] It is not a visa,[8] and it does not guarantee entry.[9] As a supplement to the ETIAS, the Entry/Exit System was due to be implemented from 10 November 2024 (but is now deferred to an unspecified date), ending the usage of physical passport stamps and thereafter electronically registering travellers' border crossings.[10]

ETIAS was first proposed by the European Commission in 2016[11] and was formally established by Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 of the European Parliament and of the European Council of 12 September 2018.[12][13] Due to various reasons, including difficulties in integrating different member states' national systems into a central database, the implementation date has been repeatedly delayed from January 2021.[14][15]

ETIAS is similar to other electronic travel authorisation systems, such as the United States Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)[16] and the United Kingdom Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

Applicable nationalities

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Main article: Visa policy of the Schengen Area

ETIAS is required for entry by land, air and sea to 30 European countries, including the 29 member states of the Schengen Area, as well as Cyprus. Ireland, which is part of the Common Travel Area, is the only member state of the European Union that continues to have its own visa policy and does not plan to join the Schengen Area or to require ETIAS.[17]

Visitors who have dual nationality of an EU or Schengen country and of a visa-exempt country (for example, Italy and Canada) will not need ETIAS travel authorisation if they hold a travel document from the EU or Schengen country.[18][19]

As of entering into use, ETIAS will be required from nationals of visa-exempt third countries (Annex II)[20] except the European microstates of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.

However, ETIAS will not be required from holders of visas, residence permits, local border traffic permits; family members of EU/Schengen nationals holding a residence card; refugee or stateless travel documents issued by an EU or Schengen country. Crew members; holders of diplomatic or official passports and airport transit passengers are also exempt.[12]

As of 2023, holders of ordinary passports of the following countries and territories, without a travel document from an EU or Schengen country, would match the ETIAS criteria:

Application process

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All prospective visitors will need to complete an online application and pay a €7 fee.[22] The fee is waived for applicants aged under 18 and over 70. It is estimated that 1.4 billion people will need to apply.[9] The system is expected to process the vast majority of applications automatically by searching in electronic databases and providing an immediate response, but in some limited cases it may take up to 30 days.[23][1] If approved, the authorisation will be valid for three years or until the expiry date of the travel document, whichever is earlier.[1]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Excluding Northern Cyprus.
  2. ^ Including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are outside the Schengen Area but maintain travel without border control with the Schengen Area and use the same list of visa-exempt nationalities.
  3. ^ Including Åland.
  4. ^ Excluding Overseas France.
  5. ^ Excluding the Dutch Caribbean.
  6. ^ Excluding Svalbard and dependencies.
  7. ^ Including Azores and Madeira.
  8. ^ Including the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla and plazas de soberanía.
  9. ^ Maintains open borders with Cyprus and applies the same visa requirements.
  10. ^ Accessible only from the Schengen Area, with controlled borders.
  11. ^ Accessible only from the Schengen Area, with open borders, or by sea with the same visa requirements.
  12. ^ a b Accessible only from the Schengen area.
  13. ^ Including all classes of British nationality, and except those benefitting from the Brexit withdrawal agreement

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Security union: A European Travel Information and Authorisation System – Questions & answers". European Commission. 5 July 2018. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  2. ^ Simpson, Jack (20 August 2024). "UK citizens travelling to EU next summer will have to pay €7 visa-waiver charge". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Calder, Simon (20 December 2023). "New border system for entering the EU finally gets 2024 launch date". The Independent.
  4. ^ "European Union's delayed 'entry and exit' system set to launch later in 2024". Osborne Clarke. 21 February 2024.
  5. ^ "European Entry and Exit System to begin from October: 10 key points for smooth travel". The Times of India. 2 June 2024.
  6. ^ Topham, Gwyn (26 May 2024). "Why travelling on Eurostar from the UK is about to become much trickier". The Guardian. London.
  7. ^ "Schengen, borders and visa". Europa. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Precisiones acerca de ETIAS, el registro de viaje a Europa que aplicará a partir de 2023 | EEAS". Europa. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  9. ^ a b Chung, Christine (3 August 2023). "The E.U.'s New ETIAS Entry Requirement Is Coming. Someday". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  10. ^ Fatima, Zahira; Aikman, Ian (21 August 2024). "What is the EU visa waiver scheme and how will it work?". BBC News.
  11. ^ "Communication from the commission to the European Parliament and the Council, Stronger and Smarter Information Systems for Borders and Security". Europa. 6 April 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Official Journal of the European Union, L 236, Volume 61, English Edition". Europa. 19 September 2018. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Security union: A European Travel Information and Authorisation System – Questions & answers". Europa. 5 July 2018. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  14. ^ Calder, Simon (20 December 2023). "New border system for entering the EU finally gets 2024 launch date". The Independent.
  15. ^ Januzi, Shkura (21 June 2024). "1.4 Billion People Will Have to Apply for an ETIAS Authorisation Before Travelling to EU by Mid-2025". Schengen News.
  16. ^ "US citizens will need to register to visit parts of Europe starting in 2021". CNN. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Will you need a visa to visit Ireland in 2021?". IrishCentral. 8 March 2019. Archived from the original on 9 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Frequently asked questions about ETIAS". Europa. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Who should apply – Who does not need an ETIAS travel authorisation". Europa. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  20. ^ Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement OJ L 303, 28 November 2018, pp. 39–58 Archived 26 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Regulation (EU) 2023/850 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 April 2023 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (Kosovo (This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.)), EUR-Lex, 25 April 2023.
  22. ^ "ETIAS, what it means for travellers; what it means for Frontex". Frontex. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Brexit: No visa but Britons will pay €7 to travel to EU countries". BBC. 14 December 2018. Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
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