The ETIAS Visa Waiver will be introduced into the European Union (EU) in late 2023.
By Nick Nutter | Updated 22 Mar 2023 | Andalucia | Living In Andalucia |
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ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. At the end of 2023, the European Union (EU) will introduce the ETIAS Visa Waiver.
It will become a requirement for many nationalities who want to enter Spain or any of the other countries in the Schengen Area.
ETIAS is being introduced to improve the security of the Schengen Area. It will be a requirement for citizens of many countries who can currently enter the region with just their passport.
Unlike the Schengen Visa, applicants will not need to physically go to an embassy or consulate. Under normal circumastances, the online application will only take a matter of minutes and, once approved, the visa waivers will be valid for 3-year periods. However, if extensive security checks have to be made the application may take up to 60 days.
To apply, applicants will need to complete the online form by answering a series of questions and paying a fee using a credit or debit card. The vast majority of applications will be quickly approved after the information has been screened against relevant security databases. As soon as ETIAS is open we will insert a link to the form on this page.
To successfully apply for an ETIAS Visa Waiver, applicants will need to have a valid passport from one of the eligible countries (listed below). It will also be necessary to complete the online form and pay a fee using a credit or debit card.
All applicants will be required to provide the following information:
First name(s)
Surname
Maiden name (if applicable)
Date of birth
Place of birth
Country of birth
Gender
Nationality
Passport number
Issue and expiry dates
Current address
Email address
Phone number
Member State of intended first entry
Education and current employment details
At the moment, the current list of nationalities who will need an ETIAS Visa Waiver to travel to Spain includes all the non-EU and non-Schengen countries which can currently enter Spain with just a passport. More countries may be added to the list over the coming months.
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela
To submit the ETIAS application there will a fee which will be payable by credit or debit card. It will be the last part of the application form. The exact amount of the fee has not yet been decided and is subject to change. The charge is likely to be around 7 Euros per application. The EU has stated that children (18 or younger) will not need to pay the fee.
You did not pass the criminal background check
The entire point of ETIAS is to ensure that the people allowed into the Schengen area are good, law abiding individuals who will follow all the laws of the countries they travel to. If your ETIAS was refused, it is because, based on the information you provided, the EU security authorities who checked your application think you could present a security threat to the Schengen area.
If you have previously been convicted of a crime, in either the Schengen area or your country of origin, you may be denied an ETIAS (and therefore entry into the Schengen area).
You did not fulfil the requirements of a previous Schengen visa
Another goal of ETIAS is to only approve candidates who will not overstay their time in the Schengen area.
Pursuant to this key objective, you will therefore be asked on your ETIAS application whether you have ever before received a Schengen visa. If you have historically been denied a Schengen visa, or been subject to deportation from the Schengen area, your ETIAS application will likely be flagged.
Applicants who previously abused their Schengen visa privileges will likely be denied for an ETIAS, out of concern that they will do so again. For example, if you previously received a Schengen visa and stayed beyond your visa validity period, you will likely be denied for an ETIAS.
Your travel document is invalid
If you attempted to apply for an ETIAS waiver with an invalid travel document, your application will likely be denied.
Invalid travel documents include those which are expired or deemed inappropriate for travel.
If you apply for an ETIAS with an expired passport, you will likely be denied.
ETIAS applicants need to apply with a valid, internationally accepted travel document. Therefore, for example, if you are an American citizen and you try to apply for an ETIAS waiver with a US driver’s license (which is valid for domestic travel), you will be denied for an ETIAS, as US driver’s licenses are not accepted as valid for international travel.
You entered the wrong information on your application
The information you enter on your ETIAS application must match the information on your official documents.
For example, if you enter the incorrect passport number (i.e. a number different than that on your passport) you will likely be denied an ETIAS. Therefore, when you are submitting your application ETIAS, double check to make sure that the information you provide matches the information on your official documents (full name, birthdate, etc).
ETIAS will become available at the end of 2023 but the exact date has not been decided. Once introduced it will be a requirement for all eligible nationals who wish to enter any of the Schengen countries.
At the moment, the ETIAS rules state: 'British passport holders will need to register before travelling to any of the ETIAS countries. This includes top tourist destinations including Spain, Italy, and France. To register, UK citizens need to complete the online ETIAS application form.' They make no mention of where the passport holder resides.
When the position of TIE holders in Spain is known, this post will be updated.
To stay up to date with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System rules, Click Here
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