British holidaymakers will soon have to pay to enter European countries as part of a new scheme now the UK has left the EU.
The fee will be paid for a new electronic travel permit that has been introduced to enhance the security and enforce the borders of the Schengen zone. The new visa waiver is expected to be valid for three years and allow unlimited entries into the EU.
Travellers from the UK will also need to complete an online application form to obtain their ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System). The application form should not take longer than 10 minutes to complete.
READ MORE: Coleen and Wayne Rooney jet off to Ibiza as they await Wagatha Christie verdict
The ETIAS security check on visitors to the EU was first proposed in 2016, when the UK was yet to vote to leave the EU, before being confirmed in 2018, reports Chronicle Live. The UK cut ties with the EU on December 31, 2022, after an 11-month transitional period.
British tourists planning to visit the Schengen zone - which includes most EU nations in mainland Europe - will have to pay a fee of around 7 euros before they depart, when ETIAS launches in 2023.
While UK passport holders will not need a visa to visit EU Schengen zone countries as tourists, they can be turned away at the border if their ETIAS application is not approved, once the scheme is implemented. In effect, it is similar to the ESTA visa waiver scheme Brits use to travel to the USA.
"ETIAS will be a largely automated IT system created to identify security, irregular migration or high epidemic risks posed by visa-exempt visitors travelling to the Schengen States, whilst at the same time facilitate crossing borders for the vast majority of travellers who do not pose such risks. Non-EU nationals who do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen area will have to apply for a travel authorisation through the ETIAS system prior to their trip", the EU's ETIAS website states.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
Vets warn all dog owners after cocker spaniel dies
HMRC giving UK parents a £500 tax free cash boost
AQA responds to claims A Level paper was leaked weeks before exam
