ETIAS Visa

According to the approved agreement made by the European Parliament this July once the ETIAS system is established, it will pre-screen travellers from visa waiver countries in order to identify security and migration risks. When arriving at the border of any European country member of the Schengen Area, travellers will need to have a valid ETIAS and a valid travel document.

According to the European Commission, ETIAS will integrate with and complement existing security databases, such as the as Schengen Information System (SIS), as well as those still in development like the Entry Exit System (EES). The EES will allow authorities to get a closer look at cross-border movement and travel history data. ETIAS will be integrated and interoperable with other EU authorization systems and will automatically cross-check each application against the Schengen Information System (SIS) Europe’s most often used security database, in place since 2013. SIS contains more than 80 million records

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 main reason for the approval of the ETIAS authorization is security. With the increased risk of travelers worldwide, the EU wants to ensure safe travels in its countries. The ETIAS will decrease security concerns substantially through its information and data gathering systems. What this means, is that the ETIAS will detect if a person is a threat in any way to the security of Schengen countries. This will lead to the person being denied entry and avoiding the threat from being present inside EU borders. It will basically deal with a problem before it is even there.

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. Read extra info at Schengen Visa.