Next year, U.S. passport holders will need a new travel authorization document called an ETIAS before heading to Europe. Here's what to know:
“The ETIAS will be one of the cheapest travel authorisations to exist,” says Januzi. ETIAS can be applied for in a number of minutes by providing a few key details, and the application process costs the traveler €7 . Januzi notes that visas require fees of more than €80 , numerous supporting documents such as bank statements, flight and accommodation reservations, and travel insurance, which is significantly more rigorous than the ETIAS application.
“Sometimes applicants have to wait for months to get a visa appointment, and often, they have to wait over a month to get a response on their application. None of this is required for an ETIAS,” says Januzi, adding that 97% of ETIAS applications are expected to be approved automatically. ETIAS is an electronic travel authorization document similar to those used in numerous other countries such as theform, which allows its holders to stay in the U.S. for a maximum of 90 days.
The travel permit will be valid for three years and can be reused for multiple trips amounting to no more than 90 days in a 180 day period of stay. A tourist must have a valid ETIAS for the entire duration of their stay but they are free to leave and come back within the stipulated limit. ETIAS is valid for arrival by air, sea, or land.Once the system for granting ETIAS is in place, travelers will be able to apply for the documentation online and the process is supposed to take a few minutes.
Applicants under the age of 18 or over the age of 70 will not be charged for their ETIAS and no medical information, such as vaccine status, will be required. The authorisation is linked to an individual’s passport and customs officials will ask to see the same form of identification to verify if a passenger is eligible to enter the country. Travelers who do not meet the criteria will be refused entry. If an ETIAS application is rejected, applicants will be informed of the reason.
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