The new one should be at the end of this year ETIAS system of the EU are operational. From that moment on, third-country nationals who are exempt from the visa requirement must apply for a travel authorization before starting their trip to the Schengen area. ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System.
New EU regulations allow applicants' data to be automatically searched in EU databases and the relevant Interpol databases. When the information from the application matches data from the databases, the application is manually examined by the national authorities.
This is laid down in the regulation 2021/1150, regulation 2021/1151 en regulation 2021/1152. These regulations were published in the EU Official Journal on 14 July 2021.
What is ETIAS and why is it being introduced?
ETIAS is the new EU travel information and authorization system. The system applies to third-country nationals who are exempt from the visa requirement and to the Schengen area want to travel. These so-called third-country nationals must apply for a travel authorization online before starting their trip to the Schengen area. A third-country national requests prior permission to travel to the Schengen area.
The introduction of the ETIAS should contribute to improving internal security in the Member States, preventing illegal immigration and protecting public health. ETIAS must also ensure that border passages can proceed more easily and without delays. These delays are caused by individuals who may pose a security or immigration risk to the EU. With the arrival of ETIAS, such persons must already be identified before their departure to the EU on the basis of the application for a travel permit.
Link with multiple databases
On July 7, 2021, the EU legislator adopted three new regulations that allow the ETIAS system to perform checks through matching with the EU databases and relevant Interpol databases. This concerns EU databases such as the Schengen Information System (SIS), the Visa Information System (VIS) and the entry and exit system (EES).
Third-country nationals wishing to travel to the Schengen area must first complete an online application form. The information from this application is automatically processed and checked to determine whether there are grounds for refusing a travel authorization. If no matches (“hits”) with other databases are found, the travel authorization is issued automatically and quickly. In case of a hit, the competent authorities will process the request manually.
The three regulations also lay down rules on which data from those databases may be consulted for ETIAS purposes. The data in these databases will enable the authorities to assess the applicants' security and immigration risk and decide whether to issue or deny a travel authorization
An ETIAS travel authorization remains valid for 3 years or, if earlier, until the end of the validity period of the travel document registered with the application. For each application for a travel permit, the applicant will have to pay a fee of seven euros.
Source: Expertise Center for European Law -
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