What is ETIAS?
ETIAS stands for ‘European Travel Information and Authorization System’. It is a travel permit that will be mandatorily necessary to enter the 26 countries of the Schengen area for a stay of up to 90 days for tourism or business reasons in a period of 180 days. It will required for citizens from 62 countries that have, until now, not required any visa or authorization to enter Schengen territories.
ETIAS can be compared to the ESTA, a permit required for some countries to enter the United States for less than 90 days without applying for a visa.
When and why will this obligation be imposed?
No specific date has been set by the European Union yet, but it is expected that it will be established by the end of 2022.
It has been created as a border security and control measure, to achieve a better control of immigration and to maintain a more detailed record of the entry and exit of people into the Schengen territory.
Who will have to apply for the ETIAS permit to enter the Schengen area?
Citizens of the following 62 countries (see link) that are not part of the Schengen Area will be the ones who must have this permit, including minors. An example of this will be the citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, or New Zealand.
Currently citizens of these countries do not have to apply for any type of visa, permit or authorization to enter the Schengen area for a period of less than 90 days, but this situation will change by the end 2022 due to the establishment of the ETIAS.
According to current requirements, citizens of countries other than these 62, must apply for the corresponding visa to enter the Schengen area for holiday or business stays for less than 90 days.
How does it work?
It will be a simple system in which interested parties must register through an online form, the approval of the permit should be approved shortly after registration. The duration of the process itself should take only a few minutes and should be done at least 72 hours before traveling. The permit will be valid for 3 years.
What are the requirements of the application?
- Internet connection
- Valid e-mail address
- Valid passport
- Personal data and travel details
- Answer questions related to health status, criminal record and wether conflict zones have been visited in recent years
- Payment of the corresponding fee
**For more information, do not hesitate to consult the official ETIAS website; https://www.etiasvisa.com/
