Etias visa waiver scheme to follow

Six months after full implementation of EES, the requirement for online pre-approval to visit the Schengen area – known as Etias – will begin. Etias will require travellers to apply online for permission to visit the EU prior to travel. This is not a visa and will not confer any rights to study long-term or work in France.

People with a valid French visa or carte de séjour, whether long or short-term, will not need to complete the Etias process. 

Countries concerned include all of the EU apart from Ireland as well as Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland.

Etias is not in itself technically a visa waiver, although it is often described as one (as in our headline). It is a request for autorisation to travel into the areas mentioned from outside the EU and is for nationals who already benefit from a ‘visa waiver’ for short-stay trips (less than three months), such as Britons, Americans or Canadians. It is comparable to what is required for Europeans visiting the US or Canada.

Unlike EES it will not be needed by people of nationalities who are required to have a short-stay Schengen visa to visit Europe. There will be a €20 fee per adult for Etias and the permission, once granted, will last three years or until the person’s passport expires (this is because it is linked to their passport). Holders will be asked to ensure that their Etias autorisation is valid during their entire intended stay in the area.

There will be no fee for under-18s or over-70s (meaning, for example 70 years and one day) – however even though no fee is charged, an application is still required. In the case of minors, a parent or guardian should carry out the formality for them.

Applicants will submit their name, address, and contact details, parents’ names, passport details, educational level and occupation, and country and address of first intended stay. They will also be asked for details of criminal convictions, travel to war zones, and if they have been subject to an order to leave an EU country.

People will be advised to apply before booking travel and accommodation in case of delays in approval (the application requires your ‘travel plans’ but it is fine if these later change). Once you have applied you will receive an email confirming submission, with a unique Etias number, to keep for future reference.

Approval, which will come by email, will take from ‘minutes’ to four days. In more complex cases, it is possible that you could be asked for extra information or to attend an interview, which could take up to another 30 days. Check your autorisation to ensure all your details are correct. If you are refused, you will be given details of a possible appeal process.

Once obtained, holders will usually be able to enter the relevant countries as often as they wish for short stays, bearing in mind the 90/180 days rule, however it does not guarantee entry. Border guards will still ask to see passports and may ask for other documents to check you meet entry requirements.

You will be able to apply for Etias via this website or using an app (not yet available). The website includes further information on Etias.

Note for residents: People with a French visa or carte de séjour should use non-EU lanes for their paperwork to be checked on arrival at travel hubs. Where airports, ports and stations are equipped with Parafe passport e-gates, some non-EU nationalities have been able to use these prior to EES, including Americans, Britons, Australians, Canadians, South Koreans, New-Zealanders and people from Singapore or Japan. To use Parafe gates, you need to be aged at least 12 for entry and 18 for exit. French officials report they are looking for technical solutions to continue to allow these residents of France an automated route through passport control.

Etias for dual nationals

People with both an EU passport and a non-EU one (e.g. British-French) do not need Etias if entering on the EU passport.