Schengen Visa

ETIAS will have clear rules for refusal. The corresponding national authority will have to inform the applicant about the decision or seek additional documentation within 96 hours. After additional information has been provided, the national authority will be required to make a decision within 4 weeks of the initial application date. If a passenger is denied an ETIAS visa waiver, they will be provided a reason and will also be able to appeal the decision.

ETIAS, the European Travel and Information System set to roll out in January 2021, will help keep Europe’s Schengen Area a visa-free zone while tightening security, border control and filling information gaps. According to the European Commission, border authorities and law enforcement have little to no information on those who travel visa-free – a luxury tourists have enjoyed when visiting the Schengen countries. Beginning January 2021, eligible visitors can still travel visa-free, but only with an approved ETIAS waiver.

Approved ETIAS applicants can travel in and between countries in the Schengen Area, for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Qualifying travel purposes include tourism, short-term business reasons such as a conference or client meeting, short-term education such as an internship, and medical procedures. ETIAS approval is valid for 3 years with no travel limit, as long as the traveler has a passport not expiring for 90 days from the day of arrival abroad. However, your ETIAS expires when your passport does.

ETIAS, the European Travel Information System, provides qualifying visitors a visa waiver when traveling to the Schengen Area, a group of European countries that have agreed upon who can visit and how long they can stay. The Schengen Area was created by the European Union, or EU, in the spirit of harmonious and free travel between borders and has grown to 26 countries – most are in the EU but some are not. Given the influx of international travelers to the Schengen Area, more comprehensive security checks have had to be put in place. ETIAS, much like ESTA in the United States, will create centralized data on who is visiting and why, providing enhanced security for all.

The ETIAS will not burden your finances a lot. It is planned to have the ETIAS cost only 7 euros for each application. This is only valid for adults over 18 years old, as those under 18 will not have to pay any fees. You can pay the fee by debit or credit card. Immediately after you complete the payment, the ETIAS authorization will start processing. If approved, the ETIAS might be valid for 3 years or until the end of validity of the travel document registered during application, whichever comes first. Whether you will get the first period of validity or the second depends on the system’s evaluation of your information and risk.

When you arrive at the border of an ETIAS participating country, a customs agent will likely ask you a few questions about your travel purposes to make sure you’re traveling legitimately and legally as a tourist or business person there for 90 days or less. Keep in mind that ETIAS allows for up to 90 days of travel within a 180-day period. See more info at ETIAS EU.