Scots will likely not have to apply for the new EU visa waiver next summer as the scheme has been pushed back.
The system, called ETIAS, is now scheduled to open from November 2023 and will allow Brits to freely travel through 30 European countries for up to 90 days for tourism, transit or business. Countries like Spain, France, Italy, and Germany are all part of the scheme.
Once obtained, travellers will have to renew the new visa waiver every three years which will allow unlimited entries into countries within the Schengen zone, reports the Mirror. This Schengen zone is made up of 26 European countries and four non-EU member countries that have removed border controls between them.
The waiver will cost just €7 or around £6, which can be obtained through an application that can be done online and typically takes around 10 minutes. Those who want to apply for the waiver when it comes out will need some key documents.
To apply for the visa waiver, you will need:
- A passport, valid beyond the intended stay in Europe
- An email address
- A debit or credit card
ETIAS, which is similar to the US ESTA scheme, will require non-EU tourists to fill in a form and pay £5.93 before entering the passport-free zone in Europe and everyone aged from 18 to 70 will need to pay the fee to holiday abroad. The system was originally expected to start at the end of 2022, but was delayed until May 2023.
Now, this has been postponed by another six months, the website SchengenVisaInfo.com first reported with no reason for the delay yet provided. An ETIAS form will be required to enter all countries in the EU passport-free zone – even non EU countries like Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.
Besart Bajrami, founder of SchengenVisaInfo.com, said: “Having an ETIAS means that Britons will be able to skip some of the checks they undergo now, as all their information will be available in their ETIAS.
"Border guards won’t even have to ask the questions that they ask now.”
Post-Brexit rules have been causing issues for some British people this year.
Many people have found themselves unable to travel to EU member countries because of new rules which include your passport needing to be issued within 10 years of travel, and also having three months left following your holiday.
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