ETIAS EUROPEAN TRAVEL INFORMATION AND AUTHORIZATION SYSTEM

What is Etias ?

The EU Travel Information and Authorisation System, otherwise known as ETIAS is a system designed to make travel throughout the Schengen region in Europe safer and more secure.

It was instigated in 2016 as a way of strengthening travel security to Europe and the Schengen area from countries that, at present, require no visa for intended travel.

This new system will be rolled out by 2021, but there is a great deal of confusion as to how it will work. Many people are confused about whether this is the same as the Schengen visa or if it replaces it.

Which countries need etias visa: +40 countries
Etias visa how long does it last: 3 years
Etias visa fee: 7€
Etias issuance: within 1 hour
Etias start date for US citizens: end of 2024

ETIAS Visa vs Schengen Visa: A Comparison

ETIAS Visa is an electronic travel authorization for travelers who presently CAN travel to Europe without a visa.

The ETIAS visa, an acronym that stands for European Travel Information Authorization System, will come into force from November 2023 and will be regulated by the regulations of the European Commission. This permit will be necessary for citizens of some countries outside the European Union to enter one of the member countries, and in particular these are citizens of all those states that today can enter the European Schengen area without requiring a special visa.

The introduction of the ETIAS visa will make it possible to strengthen the security of the borders of the European Union, also in light of the terrorist attacks that have occurred in recent years, and to keep a digital trace of the identity of people entering the countries of the Schengen area.

What is the ETIAS visa and how does it work

etias visa scenghen The ETIAS visa will come into force in 2023, and is a type of visa very similar to the ESTA, necessary to enter the United States, or the eTA, which is necessary for entry into Canada. This means that this permit can be conveniently applied for online, taking approximately 10 minutes, at the end of which you will receive the visa by e-mail once the application has been approved.

In the online application procedure for the ETIAS visa, the applicant will need to enter various pieces of information, including:

personal data, including your residential address, telephone number e-mail address
where you should receive your ETIAS visa
Information about your education qualifications
The passport data or similar travel document with which you intend to enter the European Union
Information about your work
Answers to questions relating to criminal activities, drug use, travel to war zones, immigration within or outside the European Union.

For people aged between 18 and 70, at the end of this procedure it will also be necessary to pay a fee of €, and then submit the request. Minors and people over 70 can apply for an ETIAS visa free of charge. When applying for a visa for a minor, moreover, you will also need to enter the personal data of the parents or a responsible legal guardian, and if you have family members who are citizens of an EU State, special information on this family status must also be entered.

Once the visa application has been submitted, the data entered will be automatically analyzed and compared with those held by the various European authorities dealing with security and immigration, and once this comparison is over, the applicant will receive his visa by e-mail. Most requests are answered within a few hours, but it is also possible that a more thorough verification is required, in which case the applicant will be contacted so that he can provide all the necessary documents.

In any case, within 4 days the applicant will be notified of the status of the application, and in the event that the ETIAS visa is denied, full details will be provided on the reasons for this decision, and the applicant has the right to file an appeal, considering however that the entire process will take place in the EU country that made the decision to deny the visa.

What do you need to apply for an ETIAS

The ETIAS visa will be used by citizens of non-EU countries to enter one of the countries belonging to the Schengen area, for tourism, work, transit or medical reasons, provided that each trip lasts less than 90 days. Once you have the ETIAS visa, you will be able to move freely between the various countries participating in the program, and this visa will be required whether you arrive in Europe by air, sea or land.

To apply for the ETIAS visa and enter the European Union, a fundamental thing will be to have an electronic passport, or in any case with the page relating to personal data readable by the appropriate machine. In the event that the ETIAS visa is denied, it is still possible to apply for a Schengen visa, but it has several different requirements and procedures. In addition, if you decide to extend your stay in Europe, you will need to obtain a visa related to the reasons why you decide to stay in the country, such as a visa for work or study.

Who should apply for an ETIAS visa?

From the moment the ETIAS visa comes into force, i.e. from 2023, it must be applied for by citizens holding a passport from the following countries: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Japan, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Kiribati, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United Kingdom, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, United States of America, Taiwan, Timor-Este, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela.

However, it must be considered that the list of countries whose citizens must apply for the ETIAS visa is constantly updated, as well as the list of countries that will apply for this visa to enter their territory, so it is advisable to take time so that you can have all the necessary documents ready at the time of your trip to Europe.

How much does the ETIAS visa cost?

Before submitting your online application for the ETIAS visa, you will need to pay a fee of through a debit or credit card, and this applies to all citizens between the ages of 18 and 70. Instead, minors and those over 70 can apply for a visa free of charge. Once this fee has been paid, the ETIAS visa application can be processed by the competent authorities, and a reply will be received within a maximum of a few hours.

Apply for an etias directly online

Much like the American ESTA or the Canadian eTA, the ETIAS visa can be applied for online, by filling out a form on the official website that will allow you to easily enter all the necessary information through a wizard. Once you have completed this step, you will need to pay the fee of € 7, for citizens to whom this is requested, and after this you can send the request, which will be taken care of immediately and within a maximum of 96 hours you will receive a response, even if most of the visas are approved and sent within a few minutes.

For which countries will the ETIAS visa be needed?

The ETIAS visa will be required from 2023 for citizens of the countries that are mentioned, and this will be used to enter the countries belonging to the European Schengen area, those part of the EFTA (European Free Trade Association), and micro-states with open borders. Specifically, we are talking about these countries:

Countries of the Schengen area: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
EFTA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
Open border micro-states: Andorra, Vatican City, Monaco, San Marino.

At the moment, it will not be necessary to apply for an ETIAS visa to enter the following countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland and Romania, but the list of these states may change with their entry into the Schengen area, which for example is scheduled for Croatia in 2024.

How long is an ETIAS Valid for?

Once the ETIAS visa has been obtained, it will be valid for 3 years, and can be used for an unlimited number of trips to Europe, provided that each trip meets the requirement of a duration of less than 90 days. In addition, once you arrive in Europe with the ETIAS visa, you will then be able to move freely between the countries part of the program, without the need to request additional documents.

However, it will be necessary to pay attention to the expiry of the passport to which the ETIAS visa is associated: if it expires before the natural expiry of the visa, it will be necessary to apply for it again once the passport has been renewed.

Frequently Asked Questions about Etias visa

What is the ETIAS visa?

The ETIAS visa is a type of visa similar to ESTA and eTA, which from 2023 will be necessary to enter the countries belonging to the Schengen area, and will have to be applied for by citizens of countries that can currently enter this area without the need for a visa. This visa must be required to travel to Europe for business, tourism, transit or medical reasons, in case the trip lasts less than 90 days.
How long does the ETIAS visa last?
Can I apply for an ETIAS visa online?

Etias Visa or European Visa Waiver
Many people are confident in their understanding of International travel. A new system taking effect from 2021, will affect a large percentage of travelers to Europe and will need some preparation on the part of the traveler. The system is called the E.U Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS.

ETIAS is an important authorization process for visitors to the Schengen zone in Europe. Previously, visitors whose countries had close ties, or were seen as non-threatening nations, have been allowed access to the Schengen zone without a visa. This was very convenient for visitors, as it allowed unrestricted access to the whole of the Schengen zone. There were, of course, time restraints, but the movement was generally unrestricted and informal.

There has been a rise in terrorist incidents, vast numbers of refugees and defectors, and widespread health scares affecting residents of certain countries. The European Union has therefore decided to put into legislation a process that monitors all movement of who is in what country, when they are there and where they came from. This system has been introduced in order to keep all of its residents and visitors alike safe.

Many countries already have successful and straightforward travel visa systems in place.
- America has the ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation.
- Australia has the eTA, the Electronic Travel Authority
- Canada has the eTA, the Electronic Travel Authority, which is the most recent addition to countries adding extra security measures to their borders.
Required Information for ETIAS Application
For travelers thinking of going to Europe, you might need to apply for an ETIAS – All applicants will be required to fill in an online ETIAS Visa application form with some basic personal details.

You will also be required to provide information about:
- Medical Conditions you have
- Countries you have visited that are actively engaged in war
- Countries from which you have been deported
- Countries where you have been refused entry
- Any criminal record you may have
The databases of various organizations including Interpol, Europol, Police and Immigration Control will also be accessed to determine individual travel eligibility. Essentially, this process helps the majority of travelers to stay safe and detect undesirable visitors before they can enter Europe.
Which Nationalities Need ETIAS Visa

Once the ETIAS comes into effect, there are a great many people who will require one in order to visit Europe.

Foreign nationals, for the purpose of European travel, are separated into three groups. The first group are Schengen and E.U. nationals who are free to live, visit and work in each other’s countries.

The second group are non-Europeans who need a Schengen visa. The third group, to which America and Canada belong, won’t require a full visa but will need an ETIAS.

If you are a national, from the following list of countries, you will need an ETIAS visa to visit any country within the Schengen zone.

List of Countries Needing an ETIAS visa to Visit Europe:

Citizens of other countries (not listed above) outside of the Schengen zone will need to apply for a Schengen visa.

For those traveling on an ETIAS, It is perfectly acceptable to travel to the Schengen zone in Europe for tourism and business purposes, but it’s worth noting that work and study visits are not covered by the ETIAS program.
Business or Tourist Travelers – What you Need to Know
Business
Business travelers should find the process of obtaining an ETIAS visa fairly straightforward. While the scheme is being introduced with security measures in mind, the benefits to travelers have also been a major consideration.

The European Government has commissioned a new 425 million euro interoperability initiative, which includes ETIAS, which will result in improvements for all legitimate travelers.

The following time-saving features will be built into the system:
- EES (Entry-Exit System), this will replace the manual stamping we now have at borders with an automatic logging system of location, timestamps, and biometrics.
- EU ETIAS – the Travel Application and Authorization System that will collect data on people traveling into the Schengen zone.
- ECRIS (European Criminal Records Information System), this will record criminal judgments handed down by national courts outside of the EU to non-EU nationals.
- Speedy process for searching recorded fingerprints and matching facial image data.
- Detector module and biographical information systems, enabling the proper identification of genuine visitors, while also searching for multiple identities to help combat identity fraud.
- European visa search portal, streamlining the previously time-consuming process of multiples searches on separate systems.
Border control is a necessary part of traveling, and it is generally expected that travelers may encounter delays. The ETIAS system is being designed to streamline the whole process.
Tourist

For the tourist traveling to Europe, the ETIAS visa should make for a quicker journey through border controls thanks in large part to the knowledge and data that law enforcement agencies are sharing in this new initiative.

The European Parliament is determined that they will minimize the risks for travelers to Europe. Terrorist activity, due to knowledge capture and sharing, will be detected and stopped. Refugees will be helped in an organized fashion. All visitors to Europe will be accounted for.
ETIAS and the world
What ETIAS means in numbers
- The World Tourism Organisation sets the number of tourists entering Europe in 2015 at 602 million.
- By the European Commission’s estimates, some 30 million visitors not requiring visas, entered Schengen countries in 2014.
- It is estimated that this number will increase by 9 million in 2020.
- In financial terms, the ETIAS Visa at €50 means an injection of €2 billion revenue for the EU countries per annum
Reasons for ETIAS

Security
Information on non-Europeans in the Schengen zone will be shared through a central source (ETIAS). Previously VIS (Visa Information System) and SIS (Schengen Information System) stored information relevant only to their purpose.

Financial
The European Union has suffered recent budget cut backs which can be substantially boosted by the projected €2 billion/annum from ETIAS visa fees
Not a new concept