ETIAS aims to provide greater control over who enters these countries and better protection against potential threats such as illegal migration.

With increasing numbers of travellers visiting Europe every year, it is essential to ensure that individual countries have sufficient information on these travellers before they arrive. At present, however, citizens of many countries can travel to the Schengen area without a visa, which makes travel easier but can pose a certain security risk. ETIAS was thus created to pre-screen travellers from visa-exempt countries and to enable the responsible authorities to identify potential risk persons before they enter the Schengen area countries or Cyprus.

Source: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias/who-should-apply_en

Who needs ETIAS?

A travel authorisation issued on the basis of the ETIAS will be mandatory for all citizens of so-called third countries who are exempt from the visa requirement for short stays in the Schengen area (up to 90 days within 180 days). This includes travellers from the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and many other countries.

Citizens of these countries will need to apply for a permit before travelling, whether they plan to do so for tourism, business or transit.

How does the ETIAS application process work?

Applying for an ETIAS travel authorisation should be simple and is done completely online. The process involves several steps:

1. Filling in the form: You will need to enter personal details, travel information and answer a few security questions.
2. Submitting the application: Once the form has been completed, the application will be sent electronically.
3. Payment of the fee: A fee of EUR 7 is required to submit the application.
4. Automatic processing: Most applications will be processed within a few minutes, but not more than four days. If necessary, additional checks may be made and the process may take up to 30 days if you are invited for an interview.
5. Receipt of approval: If the application is approved, the applicant will be granted a permit allowing entry into the Schengen area.

How long is the ETIAS authorisation valid for?

An approved ETIAS authorisation will normally be valid for three years or until the expiry of the passport, whichever comes first. During this period, it will be possible to re-enter the Schengen area, but only for a maximum of 90 days within 180 days.

ETIAS is an important step towards ensuring greater security in Europe without compromising the comfort of travellers. The system is designed to be as simple and fast as possible for applicants. An online application takes only a few minutes, and in most cases, approval will be granted in a matter of moments. However, citizens of the countries concerned who are planning to travel to the Schengen area after ETIAS has been put into practice will need to submit their application well in advance of their planned trip to Europe.

We also wrote about this topic in our article ETIAS or What is in store  for visa-exempt foreign nationals.