What is ETIAS?
Apply for ETIAS. The European Travel Information System. In November 2016 it was recognised by the European Commission and approved by law in September 2018.
The main purpose of ETIAS was to enhance the security of EU member states within the Schengen area, enabling travellers to visit the Schengen area without visas.
ETIAS will screen travellers from “third countries”, meaning citizens of states that do not require a Schengen visa. The screening will relate to terrorism checks or migration-related risks.
The objective is to identify citizens who pose a security threat before they travel to the Schengen area. ETIAS entails the removal of visas and is not a visa.
Individuals who visit European Schengen member states without a visa will need to obtain ETIAS from 2024 onwards. Only holders of EU market passports are exempt from ETIAS.
Some British visas
Tourist Visa to the UK
Work Visa in the UK
UK study visa
Family Visa in the UK
ETIAS is based on four main reasons:
- There are many individuals who visit Europe: around 50 million visitors last year and over 200 million entries. .
- The number of migrants seeking asylum for various reasons, including war, persecution, economic benefits and so on, has risen sharply in recent years. .
- Terrorist incidents have increased further, causing concern among the citizens of Europe. The countries recently affected are France, Belgium, Germany and Spain. .
- Electronic communication has provided an advantage in terms of obtaining information that assists European border authorities and security personnel.
Which countries are in the Schengen Area?
There are three distinct categories of countries in the European Schengen Area. The 26 Schengen countries are entirely the same as the 27 member states of the European Union, but there are some that are in Schengen and not in the EU and vice versa. Schengen countries have uniform immigration rules and freedom of movement for each other's nationals.
- The first category includes EU and Schengen nationals; they have no restrictions.
- The second category includes nationals of a large number of non-European countries. They do not need a visa to visit Europe, but there are restrictions on how long they can stay and what they can do there, particularly if they wish to study, work or live for more than three months at a time.This group will be affected by ETIAS; it includes Americans, Canadians, Australians, Japanese, Malaysians and many others. This group may request the removal of ETIAS visas. .
- Category three includes nationals of non-European countries who require a visa before travelling to Europe; most of these individuals come from the world's poorest states or from those with weaker cultural and economic ties to the EU.