A major change is due to come in next year affecting people travelling to the EU, meaning that people from the UK and other visa-exempt countries such as the US, Australia and Canada will have to pay a €7 visa-waiver charge, although people aged under 18 or over 70 will be exempt.
The European Union’s European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will start six months after the Entry/Exit System (EES) launches in 2025. The EES is an automated border system which will replace manual passport stamping for non-EU travellers. It will collect biometric data, including fingerprints and facial images, to create a digital record of each visitor’s entry and exit. This data will be stored for three years and shared among Schengen member states.
The Entry/Exit system does not yet have a confirmed start date, although it was supposed to launch on November 10 this year. This was postponed after EU member states expressed unpreparedness for the launch date. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter.
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With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, you will be able to enter the territory of these European countries as often as you want for short-term stays – normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. However, it does not guarantee entry. When you arrive, a border guard will ask to see your passport and other documents and verify that you meet the entry conditions.
You can fill out the application form using either the official ETIAS website or the ETIAS mobile application. Applying for the ETIAS travel authorisation costs €7 and you will need a valid travel document which should not expire in less than three months and it should not be older than 10 years in order for it to be valid.
You will also be asked to provide some personal information including your name, date and place of birth, nationality, home address, parents’ first names, email address and phone number, travel document details, details about your level of education and current occupation, details about your intended travel and stay in any of the countries requiring ETIAS and details about any criminal convictions, any past travels to war or conflict zones, and whether you have recently been subject of a decision requiring you to leave the territory of any country.
Once the ETIAS is active, travellers from visa-exempt countries must get electronic authorisation before entering the Schengen Area (a region of Europe without internal border checks between countries).