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Meaning of ETIAS for Europe

ETIAS, an acronym for European Travel Information and Authorization System, was introduced by the European Commission in November 2016 and legislated in September 2018. The system’s creation aimed to bolster the security of EU member states within the Schengen region by gathering data on travelers entering the area visa-free.

ETIAS will conduct pre-screening of travelers from “third-countries”, these being nationals from countries that don’t require a Schengen Visa. This screening is aimed at evaluating potential risks related to terrorism or migration. The goal is to identify individuals posing security threats before they can enter the Schengen area.

ETIAS is not a visa; it’s a visa waiver, akin to the U.S.’s ESTA and Canada’s eTA. Travelers who currently visit European Member countries without a visa will need an ETIAS from 2024 onwards. Holders of passports from the EU single market are exempt from ETIAS.

Goals of ETIAS

  • Ease of Travel – The ETIAS aims to reduce waiting times at borders and facilitate smoother entry into EU member states for travelers.
  • Border Efficiency – It intends to enhance the efficiency of border management for security personnel screening travelers upon their entry and exit from EU member states.
  • Transparency – The system assists the EU in achieving its goal of a visa liberalization policy that would permit citizens of more countries to enter the EU without the necessity of a Schengen Visa.
  • Immigration – ETIAS enables border authorities to detect irregular migration patterns and misuse of visa-free EU travel.
  • Security – It assists EU member states in strengthening their border security procedures and protocols against crime and terrorism.
  • Funding – The system offers an additional revenue source for the EU budget and for managing visa-free travel for business, tourism, and transit visitors.

Reasons for ETIAS Implementation

At present, numerous individuals, including those from the United States and Canada, who plan to visit Europe do not need to apply for a visa before arrival. The European Commission, the body responsible for the rules of the 27-member European Union, has designed a scheme requiring these citizens (for example, from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) to provide information about themselves and their travel plans through an online application prior to arriving in Europe. The list of countries eligible for ETIAS may change frequently, so travelers should familiarize themselves with the requirements before departing for an EU country.

The E.U. Commission proposed the new pre-travel authorization system in response to the changing number and reasons for visitors coming to Europe. The system is expected to deter potential criminals and terrorists, and monitor all visitors to enhance security for Europe’s residents.

The introduction of ETIAS is primarily driven by four factors:

  • An increased number of people visiting Europe, with approximately 50 million individual visitors last year and over 200 million entries.
  • A significant rise in the number of refugees and asylum-seekers in recent years, for various reasons such as persecution, war, economic benefits, etc.
  • An increase in terrorist incidents, causing unease among Europe’s citizens. Recently affected countries include France, Belgium, Germany, and Spain.
  • Technological advancements in electronic communication and widespread internet usage by travelers worldwide have made an electronic form of pre-travel authorization a practical and feasible method for gathering useful information for Europe’s collective border authorities and security personnel.

What is the Schengen Area?

The Schengen Area allows over 400 million people to move freely between member countries without undergoing border checks.

What is Schengen?

The Schengen Area represents a significant milestone in the European project. It was launched as an intergovernmental initiative between five EU countries – France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg – in 1985, and has since grown to be the world’s largest free movement area.

There are people seen sitting and signing a document, while others stand behind them. One individual holds a sign that has the words “Zoll/douane” crossed out. Schengen is a small village in Luxembourg, located at the border with Germany and France, where the Schengen Agreement and the Schengen Convention were signed in 1985 and 1990 respectively.

Membership in an area without internal border controls implies that countries:

refrain from conducting checks at their internal borders, unless there are specific threats, and implement harmonized controls at their external borders, following clearly set criteria. The collection of regulations that govern the Schengen Area is known as the Schengen Borders Code.

Which Countries Belong to the Schengen Area?

Today, the Schengen Area, covering over 4 million square kilometers and housing nearly 420 million people, comprises 27 countries:

  • 23 out of the 27 EU member states
  • All members of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland)

As of January 1, 2023, Croatia became the 27th country to fully integrate into the Schengen Area. However, internal border controls with Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania are still in place, and Ireland is not a part of the Schengen Area.

What are the Advantages of the Schengen Area?

The Schengen Area enables more than 400 million people to move freely between member countries, eliminating the need for border controls.

Daily, approximately 3.5 million individuals traverse internal borders for work, study, or to visit family and friends, and nearly 1.7 million people live in one Schengen country while working in another.

Europeans make an estimated 1.25 billion trips within the Schengen Area annually, significantly benefiting the tourism and cultural sector.

  • 3.5 million people cross internal borders daily
  • 1.25 billion journeys made annually

The Schengen Area provides considerable economic advantages to all citizens and businesses within its participating states. It is intended to serve as the foundation of the European Union and the single market in its entirety.

Similarities with Other Electronic Authorization Systems

Several other countries have already implemented electronic authorization systems that can be applied for online and issued before travel begins.

  • Australia launched its eVisitor and Electronic Travel Authority (eTA) in 1996, primarily to expedite visa processing for the multitude of tourists wishing to visit Australia.
  • The U.S. established the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in 2007 for certain passport holders. This visa-waiver system caters to nationals of countries considered low-risk in terms of U.S. security.
  • Canada is the most recent country to implement a system similar to the U.S.’s, known as the eTA.

ETIAS Application Procedure

ETIAS is only applicable to travelers who visit EU member states without needing a visa. The application process is designed to take about 10 minutes or less. The ETIAS application website will be accessible via mobile, desktop, and other devices. Information requested includes:

  • Biometric and personal data such as name, date of birth, and gender
  • Contact details of the applicant, including home address and email address
  • Educational background, including primary, secondary, vocational schooling, university, or lack thereof
  • Travel document information such as passport or other document details, including document number, issue date, expiry date, and issuing country
  • Current occupation or job, including job title and contact information
  • First EU member state to be visited
  • Questions related to past criminal activities, drug use, travels to conflict zones, and immigration history both in and outside the EU.

Third parties may apply on behalf of the applicants, but this must be stated at the time of application submission. Third parties will also need to provide their name, company information (if applicable), their contact details, and their relationship to the applicant. More information on the ETIAS application form can be found here: How to Apply for ETIAS?

Payment

A fee of €7 will be charged for ETIAS applications from travelers aged between 18 and 70. There is no ETIAS fee for travelers below 18 or above 70 years of age. Every traveler, irrespective of their age, will need to have an approved ETIAS before their arrival in the Schengen Area.

Processing

ETIAS applications are automatically processed based on three factors:

  • Identity – Does the applicant’s identity match their passport?
  • Travel document – Do the travel document details align with the information provided by the applicant in other sections? Is it a valid travel document issued by an ETIAS eligible country?
  • Background questions – Do the responses align with the data in the databases checked by the ETIAS Central Unit?

The applicant’s identity, travel document, and background questions are cross-checked against databases like the Schengen Information System (SIS), Visa Information System (VIS), EUROPOL DATA, Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Document database (SLTD) and the Interpol Travel Documents Associated with Notices database (TDAWN), EURODAC, and others, in addition to the ETIAS Central Unit’s own screening rules and watchlist. If the automated processing system identifies a possible security or migration risk, the ETIAS application will be manually processed by the ETIAS Central Unit and ETIAS National Units. If more information is needed from the applicant, they will be contacted within a few days of receiving notification that their ETIAS requires additional processing. The ETIAS system will notify all applicants of their “approved”, “refused”, or “manual processing” ETIAS status within 96 hours of application submission.

Notifications for Applicants ETIAS Approvals

The majority of ETIAS applicants will receive notification of their approved authorization either immediately or within a few hours. An approved ETIAS travel authorization is tied to the applicant’s passport and has a unique application number. The ETIAS is valid for three years or until the passport or travel document expires, whichever occurs first.

ETIAS Manual Processing

An application will undergo manual processing if the traveler’s information matches a record in one of the EU databases. The ETIAS Central Unit or ETIAS National Teams may contact the applicant to request additional documentation to process the application. If the provided documents are insufficient, the applicant may be invited to an interview at a nearby EU member state consulate.

ETIAS Refusals

Applicants who have their ETIAS application denied will be provided with the reasons for the refusal, including information on the specific EU member state that made the decision.

Those denied an ETIAS have the right to appeal. Such appeals must be submitted to the EU member state that rejected the ETIAS, and the processing of appeals will take place in the same EU member state.

ETIAS at the Airport

Travelers arriving in the Schengen area by air, land, or sea must have a valid travel authorization. Using an Entry-Exit System (EES) check, EU border authorities will verify a traveler’s passport, visa, or ETIAS to determine admissibility. Those without a passport from an EU member state, a valid ETIAS, or a valid Schengen visa will be denied entry.

ETIAS Revocations and Annulments

A granted ETIAS does not guarantee entry into an EU member state, as admissibility is determined by EU border officials. Furthermore, an approved ETIAS can be revoked if it is found that the traveler obtained it through fraudulent or deceptive means. ETIAS authorizations may also be revoked as new alerts are received in the EU’s security databases due to entry denial, or reports of lost or stolen travel documents. Each member state, through its respective ETIAS National Unit, is responsible for revoking approved ETIAS authorizations if an alert matches a traveler’s authorization.

Likewise, an ETIAS can be annulled if there are changes in the applicant’s eligibility circumstances, such as a recent criminal conviction, involvement in terrorist activity, or travel to conflict areas. An ETIAS will also be annulled in the event of passport expiration or a name change of a traveler.

ETIAS Structure

The ETIAS system is made up of seven core components, each with its own systems and teams in place to facilitate the processing of ETIAS applications and manage the system and associated processes.

ETIAS Central Unit

Managed by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, the ETIAS Central Unit maintains and ensures the accuracy of current application data. It also validates applications when a match is found in one of the databases used for screening travelers. This unit is responsible for defining, evaluating, testing, and reviewing ETIAS screening rules and their associated risks, in collaboration with the ETIAS Screening Board. The unit also conducts audits of ETIAS application management and compliance with screening rules, while taking into account applicant privacy and data protection.

ETIAS National Units

Every EU member state participates in the ETIAS National Units. These units evaluate and make decisions on applications that the ETIAS Central Unit cannot process automatically. They are required to provide reasons for approving or denying applications. Furthermore, the ETIAS National Units can offer opinions and share information among member states through their respective national units.

European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol)

Europol, an EU law enforcement agency, handles organized crime and terrorism issues among EU member states. In collaboration with the ETIAS National Units, Europol manages the ETIAS watchlist. If an ETIAS applicant’s data matches Europol’s data during the automated processing stage, the ETIAS National Units will assist in determining whether the application should be approved, denied, or whether additional documentation from the applicant is required.

European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (eu-LISA)

The eu-LISA, an agency that runs large-scale IT systems for the EU, is responsible for the technical design, development, and management of the ETIAS. This entity will also maintain the privacy and security of all applicant data submitted through the ETIAS’s digital information systems.

ETIAS Screening Board

The ETIAS Screening Board is made up of representatives from the ETIAS National Units, European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and Europol. They are responsible for deciding on the risk indicators to manage the ETIAS watchlist, as well as managing the criteria used for defining, evaluating, and revising these risk indicators.

European Border and Coast Guard Agency

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency is an EU agency responsible for controlling the borders of the Schengen Area, with assistance from border authorities in each individual member state. This agency will manage the ETIAS Central Unit, and along with eu-LISA, it is the primary overseer of the ETIAS.