The new ETIAS E-Visa for traveling to Europe is scheduled to launch in 2025. Learn about the application process, the requirements for ETIAS, and the participating countries and conditions for travelers.
ETIAS ("EU Travel Information and Authorization System") is an electronic procedure for issuing travel permits, which will be used by people traveling to Europe from more than 60 countries starting in 2025.
The countries participating in the ETIAS program are currently still visa-free. That is, travelers from these states must only present a valid passport at the moment and are allowed into the Schengen area after personal assessment by border officials.
The introduction of the European travel authorization system ETIAS is intended to increase the internal security of the EU because a more thorough screening of travelers from visa-exempt countries will be performed.
An ETIAS travel authorization will be valid for use in European states for business, tourism, medical, or transit purposes. Similar systems already exist in other countries, for example, ESTA in the USA, NZeTA in New Zealand, or ETA in Canada.
ETIAS is in the implementation phase at present. We will keep you up to date on the EU Commission's timetables on this website.
Suppose you are eligible for a short visa-free stay in the EU for tourist, business, medical, or transit purposes. In that case, you will be allowed for the ETIAS program via an online form prior to your entry.
The data you provide will be checked in an automated process. After a short waiting period (ideally only a few minutes), you will receive the ETIAS travel authorization.
Since all relevant carriers are currently required to sign up for ETIAS and adapt their processes, there will be very little additional work for travelers. Optimally, you will only need to upload your ETIAS authorization when booking a European trip.
If you are from a country outside the EU but, according to EU visa policy, do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area, you will need to fill out an ETIAS application to travel to Europe in the future.
Nations whose citizens will be able to enter the Schengen area with an ETIAS permit in the future include:
| ETIAS Europe: eligible nationalities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania1 | Antigua and Barbuda | Argentina | Australia |
| Bahamas | Barbados | Bosnia and Herzegovina1 | Brazil |
| Brunei | Canada | Chile | Colombia |
| Costa Rica | Dominica | El Salvador | Georgia1 |
| Grenada | Guatemala | Honduras | Hong Kong S.A.R 3 |
| Israel | Japan | Kiribati | Macao S.A.R4 |
| Malaysia | Marshall Islands | Mauritius | Mexico |
| Micronesia | Moldova1 | Montenegro1 | New Zealand |
| Nicaragua | North Macedonia1 | Palau | Panama |
| Paraguay | Peru | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia |
| Saint Vincent | Samoa | Serbia2 | Seychelles |
| Singapore | Solomon Islands | South Korea | Taiwan5 |
| Timor Leste | Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tuvalu |
| Ukraine | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom6 | Uruguay |
| USA | Vanatu | Venezuela | |
1 The visa exemption applies only to holders of biometric passports.
2 Excluding holders of Serbian passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (in Serbian: Koordinaciona uprava)
3 The visa exemption applies only to holders of a "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" passport.
4 The visa exemption applies only to holders of a "Região Administrativa Especial de Macau" passport.
5 The exemption from the visa requirement applies only to holders of passports issued by Taiwan which include an identity card number.
6 Including British Overseas Nationals (BOTC, BOC), British protected persons (BPP), and British Subjects (BS)
With the introduction of ETIAS, you will need an ETIAS travel authorization for trips to the following countries - provided you are from a non-EU country but were previously able to travel to the Schengen area without a visa:
| ETIAS Europe: participating countries | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Andorra1 | Austria | Belgium | Bulgaria |
| Croatia | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark |
| Estonia | Finland | France | Germany |
| Greece | Hungary | Iceland | Italy |
| Latvia | Liechtenstein | Lithuania | Luxembourg |
| Malta | Monaco1 | Netherlands | Norway |
| Poland | Portugal | Romania | San Marino1 |
| Slovakia | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden |
| Switzerland | Vatican City1 | ||
1 ETIAS is required to transit through the Schengen countries needed to get to these microstates.
EU member Ireland does not participate in the ETIAS program
These ETIAS countries include current Schengen countries, future Schengen members, EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries, or small open-border countries between EU member states.
Unlike the Schengen visa, ETIAS is not a visa but an electronic travel authorization that is faster, easier, and cheaper to obtain than traditional visas.
The simplified and automated application process with passport data transmission and security questions allows travelers to be verified without creating a bureaucratic burden at embassies and consulates.
The differences between ETIAS and Schengen visa at a glance:
| ETIAS | Schengen visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Application procedure | Completely digital | Via the embassy, Visa sticker in passport |
| Waiting time | Up to 4 days | About 15 days |
| Validity | 3 years | 6 months to 5 years (depending on the visa type) |
| Costs | € 7 | € 80 |
| Entry permission | Multiple entries | Depending on the visa type |
| Duration of stay | 90 days | 90 days |
If you want to travel to Europe visa-free with ETIAS, you must meet the following requirements:
If you want to work, study, or stay in the Schengen area for more than 90 days within a 180-day period, your ETIAS permit is not enough. You must apply for the appropriate visa.
If you want to apply for ETIAS, your passport must meet the following requirements:
In a July 2023 press release, the EU clarified that ETIAS travelers will not have to provide health information, vaccination records, or biometric data. However, it says that travelers will have to answer some security questions so that the system can assess whether they pose a threat to the Schengen area and the EU. These include questions about criminal records and travel to conflict zones. All applications will be checked against EU security databases before making a decision. According to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), 97% of applicants will have their ETIAS application processed and approved immediately. The remaining 3% of applications will be manually reviewed by the ETIAS Central Unit and National Units to make a final decision.
The ETIAS online application will take as little as fifteen minutes. You will likely be asked for your personal information, your travel plans, and some biographical information during the process. This may include:
After that, you will pay the ETIAS fee of € 7 via the electronic payment procedure and then promptly receive a notification with your authorization.
If there are problems with automatically processing your ETIAS data (e.g., because there were matches in the Europol and Interpol databases), your application will be processed manually and may take a little more time.
ETIAS is intended for short vacation trips, business trips, medical stays, or transit. Activities beyond this, such as studying or working in the Schengen area, require an appropriate visa, which you must apply for at the embassy or consulate before entering.
An approved ETIAS will be valid for three years but no longer than the expiration of your passport. If you apply for a new passport, you will also need a new ETIAS approval.
Within the validity period, you may enter the Schengen area multiple times and stay there for 90 days at a time within a 180-day period.
ETIAS will cost € 7 if you are between 18 and 70 years old at the time of application. The application is free for all others (i.e., people under 18 or over 70).
After the start of ETIAS, you will still hand over your travel documents to customs and border guards as usual when you arrive at the Schengen area border. Your passport will be electronically scanned and checked against the most important databases before you enter.
Since your ETIAS permit is linked to the data in your passport, it is mandatory to show up with the same passport that you used to apply for the ETIAS. For security purposes, carry a printout of your ETIAS permit with you.
The local officials may ask you some questions before you are granted entry clearance.
An approved ETIAS is no guarantee to be allowed into Europe. Since the final decision on your entry permit is up to the local border guards alone, ETIAS is rather to be understood as an "arrival permit." However, this applies to all types of visas and travel authorizations worldwide.
The launch of ETIAS is already three years late. The EU Parliament has now given its approval, and travel companies are currently in the system testing phase. ETIAS is scheduled to go live in 2025 at the earliest.
Do you have further questions about the ETIAS travel authorization for the Schengen area? Then hopefully, you will find what you are looking for in our FAQ:
The introduction of ETIAS does not affect the visa requirements of countries whose nationals previously had to apply for a visa to travel to the Schengen area. Thus, non-EU citizens coming from countries requiring visas will still have to apply for a Schengen visa.
Under certain circumstances, your ETIAS may be rejected. However, unlike many other countries, with European ETIAS, you have the right to know the reason and appeal the decision.
There will also be times when further information will be required from the applicant before an ETIAS is approved through the manual process, extending the waiting time to up to four weeks. Therefore, apply for your ETIAS early in order to still have enough time for another attempt or alternative application for a Schengen visa.
You only have to apply for your ETIAS once and may visit all ETIAS member countries with the permit within the validity period of three years and for a maximum stay of 90 days.
No, the ETIAS allows a stay of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. If you wish to stay longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for a visa at the embassy or consulate of the respective Schengen country.
Yes, you can change your travel dates after you have received your ETIAS. The validity of your ETIAS entitles you to enter the Schengen area within the specified period as long as your passport is valid.
Yes, you can apply for an ETIAS if you have dual nationality, provided that one of your nationalities is from an eligible country. Be sure to use the passport that corresponds to the citizenship that is eligible for the ETIAS application.
ETIAS is not intended to be used for professional activities. If you intend to work in the Schengen area, you must apply for the appropriate work visa at the relevant embassy or consulate.
Health insurance is not required for entry with ETIAS. However, it is recommended that you purchase health insurance to ensure that you are covered for unexpected medical expenses during your stay.
Yes, you can apply for ETIAS on behalf of another person, such as a family member or fellow traveler. Be sure to provide accurate and complete information during the application process.
Your ETIAS is tied to your passport. If your passport expires before your ETIAS, you will need to apply for a new ETIAS with your new passport.
Yes, an approved ETIAS entitles you to multiple entries within the three-year validity period. You can enter and leave the Schengen area as many times as you like, provided that the total length of your stay does not exceed 90 days within a period of 180 days.
Yes, every traveler, including children of any age, needs their own ETIAS.
No, the ETIAS is tied to the passport for which it was originally issued. If you obtain a new passport, you must apply for a new ETIAS with the details of the new passport.
If you lose your passport with an active ETIAS, you will need to apply for a new passport and then apply for a new ETIAS with the details of the new passport. Your old ETIAS will no longer be valid.
No, the ETIAS is not required for EU citizens traveling within the EU. It is primarily intended for non-EU citizens who are exempt from the visa requirement.
If your ETIAS application is rejected, you will be informed of the reasons. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to appeal the decision or submit a new application with corrected information. Follow the instructions in the rejection letter.