ETIAS, a new entry requirements system for Schengen, will be introduced later this year
Currently, British citizens and other citizens of 63 so-called third countries are allowed to travel to Europe visa-free. For this group, the necessary changes will be made at the end of 2022 due to the introduction of ETIAS
To limit waiting times at the borders, to shorten procedures and for security reasons, the European Commission already decided in November 2016 to introduce the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). Since then, the ETIAS system has been under development and is now expected to be officially launched at the end of 2022.
Before you travel, apply for a travel authorization
Once this system comes into effect, all travelers from third countries, who currently do not require a visa, will have to enter it Schengen area to travel, first apply for a travel authorization. Immediately after the introduction of ETIAS, third-country nationals will probably not yet be required to register using the system. This can be done on a voluntary basis. The first year will be a transitional phase, so that travelers can become acquainted with this new system, which is comparable to, for example, the ESTA. An ESTA is a mandatory travel authorization to travel to America without a visa. Europe is now coming up with its own variant.
Online application
The application process for an ETIAS travel authorization is completely online, so you do not have to work with documents. In addition, completing the application is not expected to take more than ten minutes.
The main condition for applying for a travel authorization for the Schengen area is that the applicant is in possession of a valid passport. Depending on the country of origin of the applicant, the form contains different fields that must be completed. The most important information requested includes biometric data, address, education and work experience, the first country the applicant intends to visit, as well as other background and security questions. has illness.
Automated data processing
When all the required details have been filled in, an applicant aged 18 or over must pay a fee of €7. The data entered is then checked through automated processing in various EU and international databases, where the applicant is screened for potential health or safety risks.
If there are no problems with the application, the travel authorization is issued almost immediately and automatically, unless there are possible grounds for refusal.
If a specific profile of an applicant entails potential risks, the responsible authorities carry out additional checks to determine whether or not the travel authorization can be issued.
The EU expects that with the introduction of ETIAS, the border security of the EU will be significantly strengthened and European citizens will be better protected against, for example, infectious diseases, terrorism and serious crime.
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