European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson announced this week. This new security measure will require citizens from more than 60 countries outside the European Union to apply for entry and pay a €7 fee before entering the Schengen area.
What is ETIAS?
The ETIAS is a system designed to improve security and control at the external borders of the Schengen area. It will require nationals of more than 60 non-EU countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and the UK, to apply for a travel authorisation before entering 30 European countries, including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, in addition to the EU Member States. It is important to note that Ireland is not included in this scheme as it has its own travel rules regime.
The authorisation issued by the ETIAS will be valid for three years or until the expiry of the validity of the passenger’s passport, whichever comes first. Travellers will be able to submit their application online or via a mobile app, which will simplify the process considerably.
Application procedure
The ETIAS application process will be user-friendly and straightforward. Travellers will be asked to fill in a form giving their personal details, passport information, contact details, information about their occupation and answers to a few security questions relating to possible criminal records, stay in war zones, etc. The form should take no more than ten minutes to complete.
More than 95% of applications will be approved within minutes, but in some cases the approval process can take up to 72 hours. The €7 fee will be waived for all passengers under 18 and over 70 years of age, which will relieve certain groups of passengers.
Security measures and controls
In addition to the launch of ETIAS, European Commissioner Johansson announced on Monday the launch of the new Entry-Exit System (EES) for the Schengen area countries, which will be operational on 10 November. This system will require non-EU citizens to provide biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images. The EES will allow closer monitoring of who enters the Schengen area and for how long.
According to the Commissioner, the new system will help reduce the risk of abuses such as overstays, fraudulent passports, terrorist activities and espionage. The new rules will help authorities to be better informed about who is coming to the EU and for what purpose.
What is EES?
The Entry/Exit System (EES) will be an automated IT system for registering travellers from third-countries, both short-stay visa holders and visa exempt travellers, each time they cross an EU external border. The system will register the person’s name, type of the travel document, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit, in full respect of fundamental rights and data protection.
It will also record refusals of entry. EES will replace the current system of manual stamping of passports, which is time consuming, does not provide reliable data on border crossings and does not allow a systematic detection of over-stayers (travellers who have exceeded the maximum duration of their authorised stay).
EES will contribute to prevent irregular migration and help protect the security of European citizens. The new system will also help bona fide third-country nationals to travel more easily while also identifying more efficiently over-stayers as well as cases of document and identity fraud. In addition to this, the system will enable to make a wider use of automated border control checks and self-service systems, which are quicker and more comfortable for the traveller.
Further information and links
For more information on the ETIAS and other European Commission initiatives, please visit the official European Commission website. Key links include:
With these new measures, the EU will continue to strengthen security at its borders, while making travel procedures for third-country nationals simpler and more transparent.
