Europe allowed the citizens of 61 countries in the world to roam visa-free through its nations. But now the European Union is making some changes into its travel regulations. That means the people who earlier enjoyed their visa-free stay into the European countries will soon have to follow some new rules set by the European Union. With the introduction of ETIAS in the world the continent is bringing a more effective travel system.
ETIAS (https://www.etia.com/) stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System. It will be applied only on those travelers that didn’t had to apply for a visa to travel in the continent. People who are travel lovers know how often the travel regulations changes into the world and here is Europe presenting us with another one.
There are a total number of 26 countries in the world that falls on the Schengen border. These Schengen area countries are Germany, Denmark, Italy, Hungary, Sweden, Finland etc. After having a valid ETIAS you will be allowed to visit all these 26 counties.
Those citizens who always needed a visa to travel in the European nations will remain unaffected upon the application of this new visa-waiver system. ETIAS is only for those who didn’t had to go through any visa documentation hassles before to enter Europe. Even though it sounds like another complicated and money consuming travel regulation but it is believed that ETIAS are actually very easy, efficient and money saving.
All you need is a valid passport to apply for ETIAS. The procedure to apply for ETIAS is very easy. You will get an application form on the official site, upon submission you will get your verification. The form will ask you for your basic details. Unlike your passport application you will not have to go through any interview process or extreme checking steps, it will be as easy as filling out a basic form online with your name, date of birth, country, gender, nationality etc.
Once you get your ETIAS, it will be valid for the time duration of 3 years since the date of issue. With the help of it you will be permitted to visit the countries belonging to the Schengen border for 90 days at once. Your ETIAS will automatically expire if the validity of your passport expires.
Everybody will have to apply for this new European Travel Information and Authorization System regardless of age. That means minors (children below the age of 18 years) and old-age people who are above the age of 70 will also be needing ETIAS for their visa-free stay in the continent.
If you are an adult you will have to pay 7 euros as the application fee for applying for the ETIAS. But for minors and old-age people it will be free. This new system will come into action from 1st January 2021. The thing to note is that it is not applicable if you are visiting Europe for education and job purposes.
