ETIAS, THE NEW TRAVEL PERMIT FOR EUROPE.
SHOULD I ASK FOR ASYLUM OR REFUGE?
December 5, 2019
WHAT IS THE ETIAS TRAVEL PERMIT?
ETIAS is the new European Travel Information and Authorization System. The European Union has created this system for citizens of countries that are currently exempt from visas to visit the Schengen Area.
One of the main objectives is that the ETIAS permit contributes to the security of European borders. ETIAS will help identify possible threats and risks associated with people who wish to travel to any of the countries in the Schengen Zone.
The ETIAS travel permit will be necessary to enter the member countries of the Schengen Area. The introduction of ETIAS will not change free transit, but it will be a mandatory requirement for entry into Europe.
The ETIAS authorization is designed for short-stay trips of up to 90 days. Those who wish to travel to Europe for tourism or business reasons will have to have an approved ETIAS permit to travel to any of the Schengen countries.
WHO HAS TO APPLY FOR THE ETIAS?
The ETIAS travel authorization has been created for citizens of third countries exempt from visas to travel to the Schengen Zone.
Currently, there are 60 countries that will need to apply for the ETIAS travel permit in order to visit the Schengen Zone:
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, United States, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro , New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, United Kingdom, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan, Timor Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine , Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela.
Currently, travelers from these countries do not have to apply for a visa at an embassy or consulate
The ETIAS travel authorization is a system that allows travelers to be preselected before they take a plane. All information provided in the ETIAS application will be examined and compared with a number of security databases such as Interpol and Europol.
Once ETIAS is approved by the system, it is valid for three consecutive years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. The European Union decided to implement ETIAS to improve the security of the entire region. When obtaining an ETIAS travel permit, visa-exempt travelers will have to go through security points just like all travelers upon arrival in the EU.
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES THAT WILL DEMAND THE ETIAS TRAVEL PERMIT
There are currently 26 countries in Europe that will require an ETIAS travel permit as a border control and security measure:
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland
Some member countries of the European Union are not part of the Schengen agreement, which means that their immigration requirements for tourists are others. Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, Ireland and England have other visa requirements and regulations.
HOW DOES ETIAS WORK?
To obtain an ETIAS authorization, the traveler must meet the following requirements before completing their online application:
• A valid passport • An email address • A debit or credit card.
The ETIAS application will require the traveler to complete the form with their most important biographical data such as their full name, date of birth, and country of residence. When the ETIAS application is being filled out, the applicant must also provide their passport details. After completing all the corresponding fields, the applicant will have to answer a series of safety and health questions.
Most ETIAS requests will be processed in minutes. All applications will be compared with security databases, including: SIS, VIS, Europol Data, Interpol and more. The ETIAS system has its own evaluation standards as well as an alert list that will contribute to the identification of travelers that could present a threat.
The ETIAS travel permit can only be used for reasons of transit, business, or tourism. It is possible that before the traveler undertakes his trip, the airlines or transport companies verify that he has an approved ETIAS permit. Not having a valid ETIAS authorization can have serious consequences such as denial of entry to the region. For eligible citizens, ETIAS will be a mandatory travel authorization from 2021.
WHEN WILL ETIAS BE A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT?
The European Commission officially communicated that the ETIAS travel permit will be a reality by the end of 2021. Parliament and the European Commission will provide the necessary financial support for the implementation of ETIAS.
By the time ETIAS begins to operate, citizens of eligible countries will have to process ETIAS before their trip to Europe. Meanwhile, they can continue visiting Europe without the need to process an entry permit.
