The launch of ETIAS, the European Union’s €7 (R130) visa-waiver form to enter its passport-free zone, has been postponed by six months to become mandatory in November. Travellers will be able to use the website and fill in the form voluntarily from this May.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will apply to non-EU citizens from 60 countries around the world that have visa-free travel with the EU (this excludes South African passport holders).
Subsequent to Brexit, British passport-holders will be required to complete ETIAS forms to enter the EU once the system is up and running.
ETIAS is modelled on the pre-existing Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) scheme operating in the US.
The fee will apply to adults aged 18-70 and will be valid for several visits over three years. In most cases, approval is expected to be granted within minutes, The Guardian reports.
“Having ETIAS means that Britons will be able to skip some of the checks they undergo now, as all their information will be available in their ETIAS. Border guards won’t even have to ask the questions that they ask now,” says Besart Bajrami, Founder of SchengenVisaInfo.com.
The Netherlands has announced it will implement a new Entry and Exit System (EES) at its external borders, as well as at airports, docks, and Eurostar train stations in Rotterdam and Amsterdam from May this year.
