Key facts

2022

ETIAS WILL COME 2022
The European Commission plans to make ETIAS mandatory by 2022. By now there are 30 Million travellers with visa-free access to the EU, in 2022, 4 million more visa-free visitors are expected.

7

ETIAS WILL COST 7 €
The fee charged for ETIAS by the EU is 7€. The ETIAS is usually valid for 3 years and can be used for multiple entry into all the EU and Schengen countries.

60

60 COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE
There are 60 countries whose citizens might get an ETIAS for their travel to the EU. Click here to see the list of countries eligible for applying for an ETIAS travel authorization.

Who is eligible for ETIAS?

Currently, individuals from the following 54 countries do not require a Schengen visa to visit countries in the European Union. After the introduction of ETIAS, expected in 2020, passport holders from these countries will likely require an ETIAS to travel to Europe for tourism or business or as part of a transit flight for a stay of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Albania, Antigua And Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macau, Macedonia, Former Yugoslav, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Republic Of Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,Samoa, Seychelles, Serbia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Saint Kitts And Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad And Tobago, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States Of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela

There are three different categories of countries in the European Schengen zone:

  • Group 1: EU and Schengen nationals

These individuals may visit the other countries without restriction and may live and work there

  • Group 2: Nationals of a large number of non-European countries

These individuals do not require a visa to visit Europe; however, restrictions apply with regard to how long they may stay and what they may do in Europe, especially if they wish to study, work or live in Europe.

This group, which includes Americans, Canadians, Australians, Japanese etc., will be affected by the ETIAS requirement.

  • Group 3: Nationals of non-European countries

This group consists of nationals of non-European countries who need to apply for a visa prior to entering Europe. Most individuals in this group are nationals of poorer countries of the Third World or countries with weaker cultural and economic links with the EU.

History

The use of electronic travel authorisations is not new, there are many countries offering electronic visa services for more than 20 years. Countries as Australia, the USA, India, Vietnam, Canada offer electronic visas in order to increase their security by checking the details of travellers prior to arriving in their countries. This has many advantages for both the travellers and the destination countries. Not only does the electronic visa raise the security, it means also monetary revenues for issuing countries. With the introduction of the ETIAS the EU is the newest member in the list of electronic authorization countries.

1996
ETA Australia
Australia was one of the first countries to introduce the electronic travel authorization (ETA). Then other electronic visas followed. By now Australia offers over 40 different electronic visas, that can be
2008
ESTA USA
The US ESTA was first introduced in 2008 and became mandatory in January 2009. The ESTA allows multiple entries in the US with a maximum stay of 90 days per travel.
2015
ETA Canada
The ETA for Canada came in 2015, it became mandatory in 2016 for a large list of countries that are eligible for visa-free entry in Canada. Usually, it is valid for 5 years.
2020
ETIAS EUROPE
The newest electronic travel authorization is the ETIAS, introduced by the EU Commission in 2016. It shall be mandatory from 2020 for travellers with the citizenship of one of the 54 participating countries.