The European Commission has set another new launch date for its upcoming entry system, the the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) in 2024, pushed back from NOV 2023.
As previously reported by Open Jaw, the system will require visitors from outside the EU to apply and pay €7 (CAD $10.06) per person for a visa waiver before entering a country in the Schengen zone, which includes France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain, among others. The visa permits non-EU citizens to stay in the EU and Schengen zone for 90 days. Once a traveller has had their visa approved, they do not need to apply again for three years.
The ETIAS was originally scheduled to launch in 2021 before it was delayed due to the pandemic. Since then, it has been pushed back even further from 2022 to NOV 2023 and now to 2024.
Open Jaw also previously reported that the European Union has also pushed back the launch of its upcoming Entry-Exit System (EES) to the end of 2023. Travel Weekly says that ETIAS will rely on the EES to function. The EES is intended to be an automated IT system for registering travellers from countries outside the EU and will collect data such as the traveller’s name, type of the travel document, biometric data, and the date and place of entry and exit. Instead of using passport stamps, the system will automatically register when someone enters or leaves an EU country.
As noted by Open Jaw, the implementation of EES also came with concerns over potential disruptions and delays at borders.
“The additional tasks resulting from the EES regulation will lead to a sharp increase in process times,” Austrian authorities said. “Currently, we expect process times to double compared to the current situation.”
