If you are planning to visit Europe in the foreseeable future, specifically next year, know that beginning January 1, 2023, travellers from North America and other countries like Australia — who do not need a visa currently to visit the Schengen zone — will have to register through the European Travel Information and Authorization System before their visit.
What is the European Travel Information and Authorization System?
European Travel Information and Authorization System or ETIAS is a visa waiver program created by the European Union to protect and strengthen its borders. Its main goal is to identify threats or risks associated with visitors travelling to any of the Schengen Area countries — Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The ETIAS visa waiver program will be needed to enter the Schengen member countries mentioned above, but the process is easier than obtaining a visa. You will have to go to www.etias.com to fill a form that will have your personal details like health record, criminal record, and gender. The submission fee is 7 euros, but it is waived for those under 18 and over 70 years of age.
According to the ETIAS site, to apply online, applicants need a valid passport, an email address, and a debit or credit card to pay the application fee.
Most applications will be processed within minutes. All of them will be checked in security databases like SIS, VIS, EUROPOL DATA, Interpol, and more. Once an application is revised, the applicant will receive a confirmation message with the travel authorisation via email.
You can visit schengenvisainfo.com to check if your country does or does not need a Schengen visa to visit Europe. Currently, India is not on the list of ETIAS-eligible nations.
