Travelling to the countries that are a member of the European Union is pretty easy if you don’t need a visa to enter, either for pleasure or business only, studying and working are not allowed. This agreement benefited many travellers from everywhere in the world.
However, very recently, the European Union announced passed the ETIAS law which those visa-free to enter EU countries or the Schengen States will be required to acquire before travelling to this part of the world.
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WHAT IS ETIAS
What is ETIAS? ETIAS or also known as European Travel Information and Authorisation System is a travel permit that countries who are in the visa-free agreement will have to apply before planning their trip to European Union countries.
If you have heard of ESTA of USA or ETA of Australia – this work just the same. You still don’t need a visa to enter and travel the EU however, you are required to get an ETIAS. According to the EU, this is being added as a requirement for safety reasons.
WHEN WILL ETIAS COME INTO EFFECT
At the moment, there is no specific date when this will come into effect. The last announcement regarding its release was supposed to be in 2019.
WHO NEED AN ETIAS
All nationalities who do not need a visa to enter the EU must apply for an ETIAS and get an approval letter which you present before you leave your departing location and also when you arrive in one of the countries in EU.
The main job of ETIAS is to know who are the travellers entering the EU and find out if there are any risk letting a person enter these states, for example, if the person has been involved in any criminal activity.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS TO GET AN ETIAS
Your application for ETIAS can be done online. You will need to provide your information such a :
- Biometric information; full name, date of birth
- Information regarding your citizenship
- Address
- Contact details
- Work/Education
- Point of entry/ Destination(s)
- Background and eligibility questions – criminal records, medical condition, travel history
- Proof of relationship with an EU residence – if applicable
HOW MUCH IS THE COST OF ETIAS AND VALIDITY
ETIAS fee will be 7 euro and is valid for three years. 18 years old and up must pay the fee while 18 years old and below is free of charge.
HOW AND WHERE CAN YOU USE YOUR ETIAS
Once you land in EU, your fingerprint/s will be taken and your ETIAS will be asked to be shown (print at least two copies).
Nationalities who will need an ETIAS soon
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong S.A.R*
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Macao S.A.R*
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent
- Samoa
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- Taiwan **
- Timor Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
NOTE: If your country is not on the list, it means that you need to apply for a Schengen Visa.
You can only use your ETIAS to enter through the entry point that you placed on your application. After this, you are free to pass through different countries in the EU without any trouble.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START YOUR ETIAS APPLICATION
- Make sure that you have a stable internet connection
- Have your bank card ready
- Finish the application in less than 10 minutes, if it takes more than this, you will have to start again
I hope you find this EU Travel Authority Permit useful, I will try my best to keep this article updated to give more reliable information once ETIAS is being implemented. In the meantime, if you have questions or any new information, let me know in the comment section below.
