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Daily Record

Lifestyle

Lucy Farrell

New EU travel change explained before fee launches next for UK tourists

ETIAS (Event) United Kingdom Schengen European Union

UK travellers who want to visit countries within the EU Schengen Zone will soon need to complete a new pre-screening process to do so.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be implemented for residents of more than 60 nations who currently can travel to the 27 Schengen countries without a visa. While it has been delayed several times, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports that it will likely be brought in by the end of this year from November 2023.

This means that certain tourists - including Scots - who want to fly to any Schengen country in the last two months of the year should prepare to take the extra step.

As it is a new system, there may confusion as to what an ETIAS actually is and why it is being introduced. Here are six things to know about the ETIAS travel waver before it comes into force, as explained by SchengenVisaInfo.com.

1. An ETIAS is not the same a visa

An ETIAS can be applied for online in minutes (PA)

There has been some confusion as to whether the ETIAS is a visa that non-Schengen residents must be approved for before travel.

While a visa requires a longer application process, an ETIAS is actually a pre-screening program that can be completed online in about ten minutes and is for travellers who already benefit from visa free-access.

In order to obtain a Schengen visa you need to make an appointment, compile an extensive list of paperwork, attend an interview, and pay a fee. According to the official ETIAS website, its application costs €7 - about £6.20 in sterling.

According to the ETIAS website, only tourists aged 18 to 70 need to complete the screening before travelling.

2. An ETIAS is not required for just countries in the EU

It should be noted that an ETIAS is not specifically for non EU residents looking to enter a European Union country. While the Schengen Zone is an EU treaty that allows free travel between participating nations, the European Union serves as a political union with its own parliament

The Schengen Zone is made up of European countries, but not all of them are part of the European Union. These include Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein.

Similarly, there are certain EU countries that are not part of the free travel Schengen area and these are Bulgaria, Cyprus and Ireland.

3. The ETIAS screening program is a safety measure

The introduction of the ETIAS waver is not related to the Brexit referendum, despite both proposals taking place in 2016.

Rather, it has been brought in as a measure to increase border security, as those who apply for an ETIAS will be screened before being able to enter any Schengen country.

4. The ETIAS website has not yet launched

According to SchengenVisaInfo.com, the ETIAS application website has not yet launched, but there are already a range of false websites claiming to be the official site.

Others claim to be third party websites that sell themselves as a necessary tool for obtaining an ETIAS, but this is not the case. EU officials have confirmed that once the official website is launched, it will contain a "Europa.edu" domain, found at the end of a website URL, rather than ".com" or ".co.uk".

5. Many other countries have similar entry schemes

The EU is not the first organisation to introduce such a travel scheme. Other countries have operated similar systems, for almost identical purposes, for years now, and even decades.

America has enforced an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) requirement since 2007, while Australia operates a scheme called Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).

The United Kingdom is also working on a similar system, provisionally known Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). It will serve the same purpose as an ETIAS for EU residents who want to enter The UK.

6. You can travel to multiple Schengen countries with the same ETIAS authorisation if it's valid

Once issued an ETIAS is valid for two years, meaning travellers con go to different Schengen countries within that timeframe without having to apply for a new one.

However, if the traveller’s passport expires within two years after application for an ETIAS, then the validity of the first-obtained ETIAS will be until the passport's expiration date. This means that if you are granted a two year ETIAS, but your passport becomes invalid the year after, then the ETIAS will also expire.