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Applying for ETIAS

Published on: Thursday, August 18, 2022

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From November 2023, non-EU visitors to Europe's Schengen member countries will need to apply for ETIAS or a Schengen visa

ETIAS, an acronym for European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is a system that aims to ‘identify security, irregular migration or high epidemic risks posed by visa-exempt visitors travelling to the Schengen States’, according to the European Commission. The idea of ETIAS was first introduced in April 2016 and initially, the EU and Schengen member states had wanted to launch it in 2020, but they have now pushed the commencement to November 2023.

The concept of ETIAS is similar to the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) imposed by the USA – in the sense that both systems add a layer of scrutiny to visitors who currently don’t need a visa or are under the ‘Visa Waiver Program’.

In other words, ETIAS is only applicable to visitors who currently don’t need a visa to visit any of the Schengen member states. At present, there are 59 countries or territories whose nationals can visit any of the Schengen member states without a visa – you can see the full list under the header ‘Nationals who need to apply for ETIAS’ below.

Please note that ETIAS is not the same as a Schengen visa. For nationals who need to apply for a Schengen visa, they should continue to do so. We will expand on this point later.

Tourists looking at St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City

Tourists in Vatican CityShutterstock

Countries that require ETIAS

Countries that require visitors to apply for ETIAS are the 26 Schengen member countries, namely Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Please note that four of them (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) are not part of the EU but are associate members of the Schengen Area.

Then there are five EU countries which aren’t part of the Schengen Area – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania. It is expected that they will also require visitors to apply for ETIAS in the future.

In addition, there are four countries – Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City – that are not part of the Schengen Area or European Union, but because they are located within an EU country, they have opened their borders to visitors with a Schengen visa. They too, are expected to impose ETIAS in the future.

A traveller in Lisbon, PortugalShutterstock

Nationals who need to apply for ETIAS

Anyone who currently can visit any of the Schengen member countries without a Schengen visa will need to apply for ETIAS when the system is in place. At present, nationals of these 59 countries or territories are affected:

Albania
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
Israel
Japan
Kiribati
Macao
Malaysia
Marshal Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Montenegro
New Zealand
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Taiwan
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Venezuela

Additional notes:
* Hong Kong and Macao: applicable to holders of SAR passports.
* Taiwan: applicable to holders of passports issued by Taiwan which include an identity card number.
* Serbia: applicable to holders of biometric passports, excluding holders of passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate.
* Vanuatu: applicable to holders of passports issued on or after 25 May 2015.

What’s required to apply for ETIAS?

Security is the top concern for Schengen member countries and naturally, you’ll be required to provide the following when you apply:

Full name
Date of birth
Place of birth
Current address
Email address
Your biometric passport and other nationality details
Apart from basic personal info, you will also need to answer questions related to criminal history, past travel to Europe and security information.

The fee will be €7. However, applicants below the age of 18 do not need to pay the fee.

The process is expected to take about 15 minutes for applicants to complete online.

A tourist in Budapest, HungaryShutterstock

ETIAS validity and fees

Once issued, ETIAS will allow its holder to stay in 26 Schengen countries for a period of up to 90 days in a 180-day period. The authorisation is valid for three (3) years from the date of issue or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.

Is ETIAS the same as a Schengen visa?

No. ETIAS is an authorisation, not a visa.

ETIAS is for non-European visitors (like Americans, Australians, Brazilians, Japanese, Malaysians and Singaporeans, among others) who can currently enter all Schengen countries without a visa. When ETIAS is in place, these visitors will need to apply for ETIAS before travelling.

A Schengen visa is for visitors from a country that requires a visa to visit any of the Schengen member states and the process is not affected by ETIAS.

For more information about a Schengen visa, please follow the link to the article A guide to Schengen visas.

When can you start applying?

The ETIAS online application process isn’t available yet, but we will announce it here when it is ready. Please bookmark this page and check it in the future.