About ETIAS
ETIAS, or the European Travel Information and Authorisation System is designed for the non-EU visitors wishing to travel to the European Union and the Schengen Area states. Although valid for all the countries of the Schengen Zone as well as for Bulgaria, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland, and Romania, the entry approval lies upon the first state to be visited.
The new European Travel Information and Authorisation System will affect the non-EU travellers who currently do not need a visa to enter the Schengen Zone. Those travellers will undergo an online security check to determine their threat status in terms of security, illegal migration, and threat to the public health to the EU countries. In order to get to the Schengen Zone border, as of 2022, travellers will be asked to present a valid travel document and an ETIAS permit.
The reason behind the new EU travel authorisation
The introduction of ETIAS comes after years of insufficient information provided among the European border authorities on the visa-free tourists allowed to visit the region. This new security pre-check will assemble the missing information and therefore strengthen the security of the EU and the Schengen Area.
Just like Canada’s eTA and USA’s ESTA, the EU’s ETIAS will act as both electronic visa and pre-travel security check.
When will the EU travel Authorization be available?
Passed by the European Parliament and approved by the European Council in 2018, the ETIAS Regulation came into force the same year and will become operational in 2022.
Until then, its framework will be subjected to ongoing completion by the EU responsible bodies.
Which citizens will be eligible for traveling with the new European online travel permit?
Citizens of nearly 60 countries that are now travelling to the Schengen Area without a visa will have the opportunity to visit the EU with the new ETIAS authorisation. Here is a list of the visa-exempt countries.
With little less than 1,900 border points, the EU has accepted around 565 million visitors in 2014 alone. In 2025, their number will reach 887 million. This will represent one-third of the border crossing being from citizens coming from a visa-exempt state.
As the EU is in constant talks with countries wishing to be part of the visa-exempt nations, the number of visitors applying for the ETIAS authorisation will increase.
Frequently asked questions
The EU Travel Permit Central Unit will be managed by FRONTEX. The new Unit will operate 24/7 and will be in charge of:
– some applicants’ identity will be double-checked when a match appears on the databases used during the electronic application process;
– setting up a system of defining and evaluating applicants’ risk indicators. ETIAS rules for screening the potential visitors will be tested and revised according to a set of risk indicators;
– regular check of the application process and the ETIAS rules of screening the applicants with special attention on the fundamental rights, data protection, and privacy;
– make sure that the data collected by the applicants are recent and stored correctly;
– providing the public with up to date information about ETIAS and the application process;
– establishment and management of the Carriers Assistance Center which will help travelers.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System will operate under the management and the regulation of the ETIAS Central Unit, the National Units, and the ETIAS Information System.
The ETIAS Central Unit together with a helpdesk for travelers and the Carriers Assistance Center will be under the management of FRONTEX – the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency.
The IT support – software development and technical support will be conducted by EU-LISA – the EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice.
This technical support and management will include:
– a centralized system for the ETIAS applications;
– an interface with each Member State’s symbols (national uniform interfaces) and attributes connected to the national infrastructures as well as to the centralized system;
– a secure and verified connection between the national uniform interfaces and the centralized system;
– website and mobile application for both desktop and mobile devices;
– email service;
– an application form with all necessary tools like account setting, a verification tool for the provided information, as well as a tool to provide or withdraw consent for retention beyond the general period of the data;
– carrier gateway to check the validity of the travelers’ ETIAS authorizations.
Every Member State will prepare ETIAS National Units. These Units will be in charge of:
– risk assessments for all the European Travel and Authorisation System applications sent by the ETIAS Central Unit. The risk assessment will be conducted upon matching information from the ETIAS application and all databases verified during the application process to meet the online screening;
– final say on accepting or refusing the European travel permit;
– providing appealing procedures information to the applicants;
– close liaison with Europol to manage the ETIAS watch list.
The role of Europol
– consulting the EU States on the European Travel and Authorisation System applications when needed;
– close cooperation with the EU States on the ETIAS Watch List management.
How is EU-LISA involved?
The European Agency for Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Information Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, also known as EU-LISA, will develop and operate the ETIAS Information System. The Agency will also develop the website and the mobile devices’ application where travelers will be able to apply for their ETIAS Authorisations or to check the validity of their electronic travel permits.
The role of ETIAS is to compare applicants’ data with various databases. When needed, in case of raised concern over the ID data, the verification process will go deeper and will be conducted manually.
Databases the European Travel Information and Authorisation System will consult with:
The EU information systems:
– Europol;
– VIS – Visa Information System;
– SIS – Schengen Information System;
Systems in process of implementation:
– EES – Entry/Exit System;
– Eurodac;
Interpol:
– SLTD – Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Document database;
– TDAWN – Interpol Travel Documents Associated with Notices database;
as well as the ETIAS watchlist and risk indicators.
The aim of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System is to provide a simple and easy way to apply for a travel permit. Therefore, the process of applying for the ETIAS Authorization should take around 10 minutes, and the approval of the application, most of the time should take no more than 24 hours unless additional verification is needed.
In the case of manual verification, the time for approval will be prolonged to 96 hours. In this case, the data provided will be verified by the ETIAS Central Unit. After, it will be checked by the National Units. It is possible for the applicant to be contacted and asked to provide additional information, again within 96 hours.
When the traveller gets to one of the EU border crossing points, the border guards will scan the passport and check if a valid ETIAS document is available. Then, if all entry conditions are respected, the traveller will be permitted to pass.
If, however, the traveller is not in possession of a valid ETIAS document, he or her will not be allowed to proceed and the entry refusal will be recorded on the Entry/Exit System.
FRONTEX is expected to hire some 250 new dedicated staff, while eu-LISA plans to employ 40 new staff members. In addition to this, each Member State Unit is free to hire as much as people is necessary to operate these National Units.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System Authorisation will be valid for three years as of the date of its approval. One document allows travelers multiple visits to the EU Member States, including to the Schengen Area during the time of its validity. However, if at some point, the issuing conditions are not respected, this document will be canceled automatically.
The ETIAS National Units together with the EU Information System and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System Central Unit will self-finance from the application fees.
– Citizens that come from Schengen Zone visa-exempt countries will be eligible to apply for the new ETIAS Authorisation:
EU citizens and those living in the Schengen Area, do not need to apply for an ETIAS. For example, although Norway is not a member of the EU, it is a member of the Schengen Zone. If a Norwegian citizen travels from Brazil through Portugal to his or her home country, he or she do not need to apply for an ETIAS.
– Citizens of EU & Schengen Zone visa-exempt countries wishing to cross the Zone’s external borders:
Australian citizens can travel visa-free to both the EU and the Schengen Area. They will however need an ETIAS authorization to enter Switzerland which is in the Schengen Zone but is not an EU Member State. If an Australian citizen wants to travel to Ireland, he or she can do so visa-free, and therefore no need to obtain a European travel permit as Ireland is in the EU but not in the Schengen Zone.
The information required to obtain an ETIAS authorisation is based on applicants’ ID, passport or other travel document, occupation and employment, and education. A series of additional questions on visits to conflict zones or applicants’ police records and convictions will also be present on the application form.
First to introduce an online travel permit was Australia with ETA – the Electronic Travel Authority. Later, the USA established the well-known ESTA – the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, and then Canada created eTA – the Electronic Travel Authorisation.
The transportation sector should pay attention to the following:
– all carriers, airliners, cruisers, bus companies, etc. will have to make sure their passengers, coming from visa-exempt countries are holding a valid, up to date ETIAS document before they board;
– carriers are liable for their passengers and if the border control refuses entry to one of them, the respective carrier will have to repatriate him or her on their cost and may even be charged with a fine;
– as soon as ETIAS becomes available, all carriers will be held responsible for those passengers travelling without a valid travel permit.
When an ETIAS document is denied, it is up to the ETIAS National Unit to let the applicant know and provide him or her with all the options to follow among which – the authorities to be contacted and the steps to follow if the applicant wants to appeal against the refusal. What is important to know is that previous refusals do not necessarily lead to a new refusal when the applicant applies again.
All safeguards for the processing of applicants’ and travelers’ personal data is taken by the ETIAS Regulation. The data stored will be on the disposition of EUROPOL and the EU members’ law enforcement authorities under strict, limited conditions to detect and prevent a potential terrorist or other criminal threat.
The data stored by the EU Travel Permit System will be guarded until the ETIAS document expires or up to five years in case of a refusal, revoke on cancellation of the ETIAS Authorization starting with the date of the annul.
An independent advisory body – the EU Travel Permit Fundamental Rights Guidance Board will be set. This Board will monitor the impact of the screening process on fundamental rights. It will provide assistance and guidance to the ETIAS Screening Board.
The ETIAS Fundamental Rights Guidance Board will be presented by members of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, the European Data Protection Board, and the European Data Protection Supervisor, as well as of FRONTEX’ Consultative Forum on Fundamental Rights.
The databases the European Travel and Authorisation System will consult with each application are:
– ETIAS Central System;
– ETIAS Watchlist;
– SIS (Schengen Information System);
– SLTD (Europol data and Interpol Stolen and Lost Travel Documents Database);
– EES (the Entry/Exit System);
– TDAWN (the Travel Documents Associated with Notices;
– VIS (Visa Information System);
– EURODAC
In case there is a match between the applicant’s data and one of the databases above, the screening will turn to manual. The aim is to remove all ambiguity within 12 hours. If the claims are false, the ETIAS Central Unit will go back to an automated screening of the application. But if such match is confirmed, the application will be forwarded to the respective EU Member State and it will be up to it to decide upon whether the applicant will be approved or not to travel under an ETIAS authorization.
European Commission – Security Union (infographic)
European Commission ETIAS introduction (infographic)