A new visa permit will be required to enter countries across Europe from next year.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be implemented in 2024 and without it, you could be barred from entering Spain, Italy, France and other big European countries.
In an effort to dispel the myths around the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), the EU has published a guide to try to help people understand the change which is coming in following Brexit.
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The Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any member of the Schengen Area - which covers most EU countries except Ireland - per stay of up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes. People from the UK do not need that to enter the EU, however, and instead can use the ETIAS - but if people don’t have it or are refused then they can’t enter.
For people over the age of 18, the ETIAS will cost around €7 each. Minors and people aged 70 or over will receive an ETIAS free of charge, reports Wales Online. The completely electronic system will keep track of visitors from countries who do not need a visa to enter the Schengen Zone.
With an ETIAS, UK citizens can stay in Europe for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-period. The ETIAS is valid for three years, during which time you can travel to Europe multiple times.
The EU has said: “Recent security concerns with terrorism and the migrant crisis have called for better management of who is entering EU borders. The EU has continuously declared its goal of making travelling within its borders a more secure experience. To reduce procedures and wait times and address security concerns, the European Commission (EC) has come up with a solution – ETIAS.
“The ETIAS will undergo a detailed security check of each applicant to determine whether they can be allowed to enter any Schengen Zone country. While citizens of countries who do not need a visa for travel purposes of up to 90 days in the EU do not need to go through a long process of applying for the visa, the ETIAS will make sure that these people are not a security threat.”
The European countries that will require a valid ETIAS upon arrival at their borders are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Reasons the ETIAS can be denied to UK citizens:
- You have a criminal background, pose a danger to society, or are on a travel watchlist about suspected terrorists
- You provide fraudulent information during the application
- You are travelling from an area with an epidemic/pandemic outbreak and could be a danger to public health
The ETIAS application is expected to take about 10 minutes to fill out and it can be done online. As well as normal address and other personal information people will also be asked about education and work experience, medical conditions, about travel to countries at war or places where they were deported or rejected, as well as criminal records.
The EU says: “You will be approved if what you filled out on the application form is correct and you are eligible and not risky for the ETIAS.”
For more information on the scheme click here.
