All non-EU citizens of the Schengen Area, who were previously exempt from the visa requirement, will need a travel authorization, according to the new system ETIAS.
The Schengen Area, or Schengen Agreement, corresponds to a treaty that guarantees European citizens the right to transit, without the need of passport control, in 26 countries on the continent.
With the frequent threat of terrorism and the migratory crisis, the signatory countries of the treaty decide, as a way to increase border security, to create ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorization System, which will collect data from travelers before boarding, thus allowing the European Union to determine if there is or or there is not a risk to the bloc’s security.
To apply for ETIAS, simply complete an online form with the personal details and the countries you pretend to visit and a questionnaire on health and safety, in addition to having a valid passport.
After sending the documentation, the information is entered into the system and compared between all the security databases in the Schengen Area, where a risk check is carried out. If any country sees the need for further analysis, the request is processed manually by the competent authorities. If the traveler does not give reasons for this analysis, the ETIAS is issued automatically in minutes.
The authorization will be valid for 3 years and will be used for multiple entries in the old continent. The maximum period of stay for the traveler is 3 months, every 6 months.
It is worth remembering that ETIAS does not grant automatic entry or the right to stay, leaving the final decision to the border guard.
The legal procedures have started in 2016, and ETIAS will be fully effective in November 2023.
Immigration team – Guarnera lawyers
