https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/etias/There are many countries who are not in the European Union (EU) whose citizens can enter the EU Schengen Zone without needing a visa. Specifically, there are currently 61 countries who are not in the EU, but are visa free.
Citizens of these countries are allowed to go into countries in the Schengen Zone for business or travel purposes for up to 90 days. During these 90 days, these visitors are not allowed to work or study, but can engage in business and tourism activities.
In addition, recent security concerns with terrorism and the migrant crisis have called for a better management of who is entering EU borders. The EU has continuously declared its goal of making travelling within its borders a more secure experience.
To reduce procedures and wait times, as well as address the security concerns, the European Commission (EC) has come up with a solution – ETIAS.
What is ETIAS?
ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System. It is a completely electronic system which allows and keeps track of visitors from countries who do not need a visa to enter the Schengen Zone. In a way, it resembles the U.S Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which serves a similar purpose. The legal procedures to pass the ETIAS have started in 2016, and the system is expected to be in place by 2021.
The ETIAS will undergo a detailed security check of each applicant to determine whether they can be allowed to enter any Schengen Zone country. Since citizens of countries who do not need a visa for travel purposes of up to 90 days in the EU do not need to go through a long process of applying for the visa, the ETIAS will make sure that these people are not a security threat. This travel authorization system will gather, keep track of, and update necessary information regarding visitors to determine whether it is safe for them to enter Schengen countries.
The ETIAS, besides being used for business and tourist purposes, will also allow people to visit the Schengen countries for medical and transit reasons. In addition, it will be mandatory for all countries who are Schengen visa-free.
Who will need ETIAS?
As mentioned, the ETIAS targets citizens of countries who can enter the EU zone visa-free. As such, the following 61 countries will need to get the ETIAS authorization:
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent
Samoa
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Taiwan **
Timor Leste
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States of America
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Until the launching of the system by 2021, more countries might be added to the list, but at the moment, all citizens of the above mentioned countries, will be obliged to obtain ETIAS authorization before entering any EU country.
