The European Union has delayed the launch of its €7 travel fee for British holidaymakers until late 2023.
Originally, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System was expected to be operational next month, but it has now been pushed back until November 2023. Anyone from the UK travelling to one of the 26 countries in the Schengen States will have to apply via an official website and/or app for mobile devices prior to the start of operation of ETIAS and will have to pay a fee of €7.
After filling in an online application form, the system will conduct checks against EU information systems for borders and security and, in the vast majority of cases, issue a travel authorisation within minutes. In limited cases, where further checks on the traveller are needed, the issuing of the travel authorisation could take up to 30 days.
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The ETIAS travel authorisation will be a mandatory pre-condition for entry to the Schengen States. It will be checked together with the travel documents by the border guards when crossing the EU border.
According to the European Commission, this prior verification of visa exempt non-EU citizens will facilitate border checks; avoid bureaucracy and delays for travellers when presenting themselves at the borders; ensure a coordinated and harmonised risk assessment of third-country nationals; and substantially reduce the number of refusals of entry at border crossing points.
The 26 countries of the Schengen area
- Austria
- Belgium
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
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