ETIAS Travel Authorization for Visitors from Visa Exempt Countries to Europe
The new ETIAS travel authorization rules (Europe Travel Information and Authorization System) are being introduced and will be implemented from first half of 2025. ETIAS rules require pre-authorization from people of EU visa exempt countries. There are 60 countries that are exempted from EU visa requirements, and from the first half of 2025, people from these countries must fill out the ETIAS application form. The list includes citizens from USA, Canada and Brits travelling to popular European holiday destinations like Portugal, Spain, France and other Schengen states.
EU ETIAS Travel Authorization for EU Visa Exempt Travellers
The ETIAS travel authorization is for short-term stays in 30 countries of the European Union. The system will require details about passports and accommodation from citizens of countries with EU visa exemptions. You need to apply for the EU visa waiver system before initiating your travel. The system is intended to add another layer of border management system for EU countries.
As per BBC, the EU ETIAS Visa waiver is for people from 60 countries and grants easy access to the Schengen region, including all European Union countries. The system is expected to begin in 2025, while the travel authorization will remain valid for 3 years.
There is an initial transition period of 6 months to ensure people become familiar with the system. Citizens of the following countries are required to apply for ETIAS visa waiver in advance:
- North Macedonia
- Andorra
- United Arab Emirates
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Barbados
- Brunei
- Brazil
- Bahamas
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- Micronesia
- Grenada
- Georgia
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- South Korea
- Saint Lucia
- Monaco
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Malaysia
- Nicaragua
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Panama
- Peru
- Palau
- Paraguay
- Serbia (excluding holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (in Serbian: Koordinaciona uprava))
- Solomon Islands
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- San Marino
- El Salvador
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom (excluding British nationals as referred to in Part 3)
- United States
- Uruguay
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Venezuela
- Vanuatu
- Samoa
ETIAS Fee and Exemption
Citizens of the mentioned 60 countries need to pay a fee of €7 for ETIAS. This fee is payable via a payment card or eligible online payment options. Applicants under 18 and over 70 years of age need not to pay the ETIAS fee. Further, family members of EU citizens and those who have the right to move freely throughout Europe are also exempt from the ETIAS fee.
How to Apply for ETIAS Travel Authorization
As people with EU visa exemption will require ETIAS travel authorization, there is a surge in knowing how to apply for ETIAS travel authorization. Please note that ETIAS is not a visa but essentially an approval to enter into 30 European countries for people from EU visa exemption countries. Eligible persons can use the ETIAS official website or ETIAS mobile application.
Here is the list of EU ETIAS countries that require travel authorization:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
ETIAS Checklist
- It is wise to apply for ETIAS as early as you can even before you purchase travel ticket or book accommodation.
- Match the details on your passport with your ETIAS authorization. In case of miss match, you will be refused to board a flight and thus refused entry to Europe
- Check for the ETIAS validity is intact
- Make sure your short term stay is as per law
- Your passport should be valid for three months or more
Conclusion
ETIAS is a new border management system by the EU to ensure smooth operations and to reduce the number of overstayers. The system will go online in the first half of 2025 and will require 1.4 billion people from 60 visa-exempt countries to get approval before traveling, even before boarding.