The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a visa waiver for travellers from ‘third countries’ wanting to enter Europe’s Schengen Area and will apply to non-EU nationals from visa-exempt countries travelling to the EU for short-term stays. It will be a mandatory condition for entry to the Schengen states via air, sea or overland and is in many ways similar to the ESTA system for entry into the US with which many travellers are familiar.
The ETIAS is an electronic authorisation system and will be checked alongside travel documents by border guards when crossing the EU border. Unless exempt, citizens will be refused entry at the border if they do not have an ETIAS once in operation. It does not apply to those with a residence permit or residence card for EU countries or dual nationals who also hold an EU passport.
Travellers will need to fill in an online application form via the official ETIAS website or the mobile app. The EU Commission states that “most applications are processed within minutes and at the latest within 96 hours”. If further checks are needed beyond that, the issuing of the authorisation may take up to 30 days.
You will need to have a travel document, such as a passport, and payment card at hand when applying. The ETIAS fee is now €20 (up from an initial estimate of €7) for all applicants between the ages of 18 and 70 (it is free of charge for those below and above this age group).The travel document should not expire in less than three months and should not be older than 10 years. When filling out the application, you will be asked to provide personal information including name, address, date and place of birth, nationality, parents’ first names, email address and phone number, travel document details, education and occupation details, intended travel and stay details and details about any criminal convictions, past travels to war or conflict zones and whether you have been required to leave the territory of any country
Once submitted, you should receive a confirmation email which will include your ETIAS application number. Once processed, you will receive another email informing you of its outcome. You will not need a print copy as the airline’s check-in staff and border guards can access it within the system.
The ETIAS will be linked to your travel document, so you must enter the correct passport details and are carrying the same document when travelling. Note that you will need to apply for a new ETIAS if you change your passport for any reason. If your application is refused, you will receive reasons for the decision and the right to appeal.
The ETIAS will be valid for three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. It permits entry into any of the 30 countries as many times as you wish for short-term stays (90 days in any 180-day period).
With a six-month rollout, rather than a hard launch, travellers will likely encounter a mixed approach to biometric and manual registrations until the system is fully integrated but.
One thing we would like to emphasise is do not be tricked into using third party sites to apply. These people are just making money off you and offer no assistance. If the process – when we finally see it – is anything like ESTA for the US then it will be quite simple and you should just go to the official EU ETIAS portal which will doubtless be well publicised in the run up to October.