ETIAS Visa application explained

Once it's impossible to have advance information regarding Visa-exempt visitors approaching EU borders, it's mandatory to identify any risks that an individual can cause to public safety in advance. ETIAS online Application fulfills this requirement, providing that missing tool that let Schengen Countries authorities to screen travelers prior their landing to the European soil.

The ETIAS visa authorization is similar to other systems adopted outside the European Union like the US ESTA system and the Canadian ETA, and it's made to help individuals from more than 60 visa-waiver countries to enter and travel across the Schengen Area. ETIAS is valid for a period of three years and allows multiple-entry, covering any trips within its validity period.

The new ETIAS application

Apply for an ETIAS online is a simple, cheap and fast process. In many cases, the travel authorization should be granted in a matter of minutes. Completing the online application process should not require more than 10 minutes per applicant. It's important that every component in a group has his own ETIAS application ready before boarding.

How to apply an ETIAS application form

Every part of the ETIAS application form must be compiled carefully.
All false declarations can result in a declined application process and lead to a boarding denied or, even worst, a denial of entry in the EU.

For this very simple reason, the traveler must avoid adapting answers based on what he thinks will likely bring to application approval.

New application requirements

Applying for an ETIAS visa requires different sets of information (such as travel itinerary, criminal and health status) that every applicant needs to provide in order to get a valid authorisation. For a new ETIAS application all travelers need:

• A biometric password issued by one of the visa waiver countries.
• A valid email address.
• A credit or debit card.

Allowed traveling documents

Nowadays many of the visa-exempt countries issue biometric passports, this type of document improves the passport holder information security preventing unauthorized reading of the information saved on it. ETIAS system should also support the non-biometric version of your documents, but this will be clarified during the implementation of the application system.

The European Union has already stated confirmed that fingerprints or other biometric data will not be collected nor will not be requested to obtain an ETIAS visa.

Personal information requirements

The information collected in the ETIAS Visa Application form is the following:

• Applicant Full Name
• Applicant Date and place of birth
• Current address
• Parents’ information
• Passport and other citizenship details

Other section of the ETIAS application process includes:

• Travel Itinerary (especially the point of entry in European Union)
• Health status self-assessment

Apart from necessary personal and travel information, applicants will also have to answer questions related to:

• Drug use
• Terrorism
• Human Trafficking
• Travel to conflict areas
• Criminal history
• Employment history
• Past European travel information
• Security information

ETIAS application form payment

To complete the ETIAS application, a fee must be paid electronically in Euro. At the moment the European Union did not disclose an additional way to pay except credit or debit cards, but the EU-Lisa, responsible for the creation of the ETIAS visa authorization platform will make sure that payments will be kept as safe and secure as possible.

After the fee as being paid, a bank or a financial intermediary will manage your payment, at this point the data needed to complete the fee transaction will not be processed inside the EU ETIAS scope. In case the payment is declined or unsuccessful, the ETIAS application will be temporarily put on hold.

ETIAS Travel Authorisation process

The ETIAS system connects a wide range of administrative databases and security agencies such as Interpol and Europol.

During the procedure that will end up granting (or denying) the entrance to the European Union, the System will check that the passport is not part of any list of stolen documents, and the applicant has not a history of failed entrance in the EU as well as a history of overstaying in any Schengen Country member.

When the ETIAS system refuses an application, the applicant can provide further information. The timeframe to appeal should be set to 96 hours after the documentation has been provided, the Schengen Member Country has one month to take a decision on the case.

ETIAS Visa Application and Schengen Visa

The ETIAS online application is not a substitute for a Schengen Visa. ETIAS will only give the opportunity to stay in Europe for 90 days, and it's available for visa-exempt countries only.

If a traveler wants to stay for a more extended period or he holds citizenship not listed in the visa-waiver countries list he will need to have a different Visa, in this case, we suggest to contact the embassy of the Country he intends to visit.

ETIAS Application review

The accuracy of data provided is critical to obtain a valid ETIAS authorization; an applicant should review his application and double check biometric data such as first and last name, gender, date of birth, country of citizenships and other passport information.

When an ETIAS application has been completed, the traveler's information is cross-checked between different security systems. EU-Lisa will be in charge to forward the data to Interpol, European Border and Coast Guard and other agencies that will provide inputs about the eligibility of the traveler to move across the Schengen Area.

After ETIAS application has been approved, it will give the travelers the right to cross the EU borders, but the validity can be revoked anytime, so it's traveler's duty to check if the authorization is still valid or not ahead boarding.