The European Travel Information and Authorization System – ETIAS, is a new EU system applicable to third-country nationals exempted from the visa requirement, due to which they will need to obtain an electronic travel authorisation before travelling to the Schengen area (the application will be submitted online for a fee of EUR 7). We expect this system to be launched in 2023.

The ETIAS is a tool to strengthen the protection of the EU external borders. It will make it possible to identify people who may pose a security threat before they enter the European Union and deny them permission to travel.

Current conditions for entering the Schengen area

A foreigner who does not have a visa requirement for Schengen countries can currently travel to these countries without a visa, only with a passport. If you are travelling, for example, for tourism, to visit a medical facility or for business reasons, you do not need to announce your journey in advance in any way. 

Without a visa, a foreigner may stay in the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. However, there are also cases when a foreigner stays in a Schengen country that has a bilateral visa-free agreement with the country of origin. Thereafter, he or she may, under certain conditions, stay in that country beyond the scope of the above-mentioned regulation.

After the launch of the ETIAS system, these persons will newly need to obtain the aforementioned electronic travel authorisation before travelling to the Schengen area. This permit will be valid for 3 years or until the end of the validity of the registrant’s travel document.

How the system works

Once the application is submitted, the information will be automatically processed and compared with EU and Interpol databases to identify possible reasons for refusing the travel permit. If no such reasons are found, the travel permit will be issued automatically and expeditiously.

If there are reasons requiring further investigation, the request will be processed manually by the competent authorities within 96 hours of its submission or, where appropriate, of the supply of the additional information requested.

Before boarding passengers, air and sea carriers will need to check that third-country nationals subject to the travel authorisation requirement actually have a valid travel authorisation.

Further procedure for implementing the system

A three-month training programme was completed at the end of January 2022 and the system is now being tested, the first applications processed and problems identified and rectified. If the Council and the European Parliament sign the adopted Regulation, the text will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force 20 days later. The ETIAS is expected to be launched in the first half of 2023.

Author: Roman Burnus, Valérie Kovářová