10/08/2024
Travellers that are currently able to visit EU Schengen countries without a visa, will not need to apply for ETIAS until 2025. However, other travellers requiring a Schengen Visa to visit Europe for tourism, business or transit purposes will be unaffected by ETIAS. You can find out if you will need to apply for ETIAS by completing the form below. Link provided!
What is ETIAS?
ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorization System, a travel security program. Based on its American equivalent ETAS, ETIAS conducts background checks on applicants to identify potential security risks entering Europe’s external borders.
Utilizing criminal records and security databases from European criminal justice institutions Europol and Interpol, the ETIAS creates a security network that keeps European citizens and visitors safe.
The ETIAS is an electronic visa waiver for citizens of select visa-exempt countries; it is not a visa. Meeting ETIAS requirements means you do not need a visa to enter participating nations. If you do not have an approved ETIAS travel authorization or do not qualify for ETIAS enrollment, you can still acquire a Schengen visa to visit.
Why was ETIAS created?
Effective border security requires collaboration between different European countries. The ETIAS promotes a cohesive border security policy between participating European nations by creating a single travel authorization system.
Travel between Schengen Area countries may not require border checks. The ETIAS utilizes a unified authorization system for international travellers entering the Schengen Zone, ensuring stronger European border control.
To create a safer travel environment, select visa-free travellers may be required to fill out an ETIAS application form to enter to mitigate potential security, health, and migration risks.
What European will countries require the ETIAS?
The countries that will require the ETIAS are primarily continental European countries that share a border and are co-signers of the Schengen Agreement.
Several European nations signed the first Schengen Agreement in 1989. It established a freedom of movement zone between the participating nations by removing travel restrictions. Schengen member countries do not require passports for border crossings.
Currently, there are 27 countries in the Schengen Area:
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
These countries will require ETIAS approval to enter because they are passport-free zones. ETIAS approval of visa-free international travellers ensures they have been prescreened and deemed to pose no security risk.
There are also three other countries that are not part of the Schengen Area, yet will partcipate in the ETIAS. These are Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania.
Learn more about the Schengen Agreement and how it may affect your European travel plans.
Looking for the ETIAS Application Form? Get notified when ETIAS is launched so you can apply and travel with ease in 2024.
