What if I need to travel urgently

After Etias comes into force, what will happen if I need to travel to the EU for an urgent reason?

Non-EU/non-EEA/non-Swiss travellers will still need Etias authorisation even for urgent trips.

The EU says that most applications will be processed “within minutes”, unless there are complications, so it should generally not pose a problem.

If, however, you are refused an Etias (or have reasons to expect it is likely to be refused) but have a vital reason for travel such as going to a close family member’s funeral, appearing in court, or for medical reasons, it will be possible to ask via the website for an Etias with a limited validity period for this. 

You should specify the precise “humanitarian” or “important obligation” reasons for requesting this, and the country or countries you need to go to.

 These countries will be consulted as to whether the permit should be granted. If granted, this will give the start and end date of the authorisation and name the countries it applies to. 

If you are refused, there will be a right to appeal.