While tens of thousands of Britons are stuck at airports across Spain and Europe due to an air traffic control glitch in the UK, they may like to know that the European Union is pushing ahead with its new visa scheme for next year and some Britons heading for Mallorca or elsewhere in the EU on business or holiday may be asked to provide additional information or documentation or attend an interview with national authorities.
From next year, British citizens will be required to apply for an ETIAS to enter participating European countries on a short term basis, under 90 days, for general tourism, business, transit or medical purposes.
The ETIAS programme will be in force from 2024 onward and is intended to screen travellers arriving from overseas as a response to the global increase in terrorist activities.
The ETIAS programme was approved in 2016, and will take four years to develop the required systems that would tie in with existing immigration databases and other security data to provide a seamless new screening tool across the participating European countries.
In 2024, citizens from the United Kingdom will be required to complete an ETIAS application prior to boarding an aircraft, sea carrier, or coach vehicle for Europe, and this includes travellers who will only be transiting in Europe en route to other destinations.
Any British citizen that wishes to enter Europe for over 90 days, or for other purposes than those allowed under the ETIAS programme will need to apply for a Schengen visa.
Further details can be found by visiting https://etias.com/ and using the homepage assessment.
It is advised that British citizens complete their ETIAS application 96 hours prior to their departure date.
Full details can be found by visiting the ETIAS requirements page or the ETIAS FAQ’s. It is advised to review these pages prior to starting an ETIAS application to avoid any delays or the risk of an ETIAS being refused.
Starting in 2024, it will be a requirement to be a full British citizen before applying for an ETIAS, so travellers holding a passport or travel document with a different status such as a British subject, British overseas citizen or British protected person will be required to apply for a full Schengen visitor visa, and not an ETIAS.
British citizens can expect their ETIAS application to normally be processed and approved within minutes, and the authorisation is sent by email in the form of a PDF document. There is no need to print or present any documents as the ETIAS is stored electronically against the passport details stored in the European Immigration system.