ETIAS, that stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System, is a new system that the European Union is setting up. The aim is to improve the safety of people traveling to and within Europe. This will mainly affect people who travel to Europe without needing a visa.
The ETIAS system will work as a species travel authorization for citizens of countries that currently do not require a visa to enter the Schengen zone. This means that before you travel to Europe, you must apply for an ETIAS authorization online. During the application, you will be required to fill in some basic information about yourself and your travel plans. The system will then check this information to identify any safety or health risks.
If your application is approved, the ETIAS authorization is valid for three years (or until your passport expires, whichever comes first). With an approved ETIAS authorization you can travel to the Schengen zone for short periods, for example for holidays, business trips or transit.
It is important to know that ETIAS no visa. It is only intended for citizens of countries that currently do not require a visa to travel to the Schengen zone. If you already need a visa for your trip, that will change ETIAS nothing to that.
Main changes for visa-free travelers to Europe once ETIAS is operational
Here are a few important changes visa-free travelers what you can expect when ETIAS enters into force:
- You need permission before you travel: If you come from a country for which you do not need a visa to travel to Europe, you must request permission via ETIAS before you travel.
- You request permission online: You can apply for ETIAS authorization online. You will need to fill in some personal information, tell us where you are going and answer a few questions about your health and safety.
- There are costs involved: You have to pay to apply for ETIAS permission. It is expected that an ETIAS authorization will cost €7.
- It is valid for three years: Once you get ETIAS permission, you can use it for multiple trips. It remains valid for three years, or until your travel document (such as your passport) expires.
- You can use it for different types of travel: Whether you are coming to Europe for vacation, business, medical treatment or just passing through, you can use ETIAS. It lets you stay in the Schengen zone for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- It helps improve security: By collecting information about people traveling to Europe in advance, ETIAS can help improve safety. It can help identify and mitigate potential security risks.
Ordered before visa-required travellers to Europe/Schengen nothing will change, they must apply for a Schengen visa before their trip.
Why does Europe want to introduce ETIAS and which countries participate in ETIAS?
ETIAS is a new system that Europe wants to introduce. The idea is to make Europe safer. How will ETIAS do that?
- It makes traveling safer: ETIAS will check in advance who is coming to Europe. This allows them to track down people who may be a danger, such as criminals or terrorists, before they arrive in Europe.
- It helps manage migration: By knowing in advance who will be coming to Europe, ETIAS can help manage migration. For example, it can help identify people who may want to stay in Europe illegally.
- It protects health: ETIAS can also help detect travelers who may be carrying an infectious disease. In this way they can help prevent these diseases from spreading in Europe.
Which countries participate in ETIAS?
The system will apply to all 27 countries in the so-called Schengen zone. These are countries that are members of the European Union, such as the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain, and 4 countries that do not belong to the EU, namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
There are also a few countries that are members of the EU but have not yet fully joined the Schengen zone, such as Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania. It is the intention that these countries will also participate in ETIAS as soon as they are fully part of the Schengen zone.
Why has the introduction of ETIAS been postponed so often?
The introduction of ETIAS, or the European Travel Information and Authorization System, has been postponed several times. Why did that happen?
One of the main reasons is that some of the systems required for ETIAS are not yet ready. It is one of them Entry/Exit System (EES). This is an important part of ETIAS that helps keep track of who is coming in and out of the Schengen zone. It seems that this system is not quite ready to do what it needs to do.
In addition, there are infrastructure problems in many places where travelers enter and leave Europe, such as airports, ports and train and bus stations. At the moment, these places cannot properly process the amount of data that ETIAS would collect. So the delay gives these places more time to improve their systems and prepare for ETIAS.
It is not yet known exactly when ETIAS will be fully operational. But at the moment it looks like it will happen in 2024.
Related posts:
