Europe follows the United States and Canada closely in having an online verification of people who get into the county. The European travel Information Authorization System (ETIAS) is targeted at people from countries that do not require a visa to travel to Europe. More than sixty countries are eligible to travel to Europe visa-free, making up about 18% of the global population. Some countries allowed into Europe visa-free are Canada, the United States, and Japan, among others.
ETIAS is set to start being effective as of 2023; therefore, people willing to travel to the EU should get themselves registered and get an ETIAS. The checkpoint for the ETIAS will be before boarding a plane to go to the EU, which will, in turn, increase the security of the EU from threats posed by people who travel without any visas. Agencies involved with the ETIAS are;
- Frontex to set up the ETIAS central unit. Frontier announced the graduation of the first batch of the central unit operators on January 28th. Operators include nineteen women and twenty-one men.
- EU Lisa to develop the IT system and has already opened the registrations for air carriers, sea carriers, and international carriers for the ETIAS.
- Europol provides data for security screening by maintaining a watch list of p
- people deemed to be a security threat to the EU.
How to Apply for an ETIAS
All eligible members of countries that will travel to Europe without visas will need to apply for an ETIAS before travelling to the EU. Dual citizens with passports to the EU and ETIAS eligible countries will not require an ETIAS if they use their passport to get into the EU. The application process starts with getting and filling out an online ETIAS form. Filling in the form will require you to indicate your biometric data, passport and your travel information. The cost of the ETIAS is about seven euros, of which children under the age of eighteen and people over the age of seventy will not be needed to pay.
After submitting your application form and making the payment, if need be, you will receive the approval of your ETIAS form within minutes. The longest estimated processing time is about ninety-six hours. If you are denied the ETIAS, you will receive a confirmation alongside the reason. If your application has been denied, you can file a requested appeal to the EU member state you were applying to.
ETIAS is only used for transit through the EU, tourism or business travel. Before you leave, any international center you are leaving from either by air or water will check for your approval of the ETIAS. If you are not approved for the ETIAS, you will not be allowed to travel.
Conclusion
With the estimated number of people visiting the EU being over seven hundred million people, ETIAS is meant to reduce the security risk of people who travel to the EU passport-free. It is important to note that you should apply for an ETIAS from an official website or a mobile app once the website for Directorate -general for migration and home affairs posts the start date when applications will be accepted.