ETIAS, the impending new authorisation for travel to Europe, will not insist on via-exempt foreign travellers having to hand over their health information or biometrics as part of the entry process.
The European Union introducing ETIAS ruled out the now common data practices for travel with regards to completing the online authorisation, however submitting basic personal information such as name, address, job title and passport information will still be a requirement of the ETIAS.
The questionnaire which must be completed in advance of travel asks questions related to past travel in conflict territories and any criminal and terrorism-related convictions.
With numerous delays pushing back the due date for the ETIAS regulation, the disrupted rollout is now expected in 2024.
Non-EU citizens from the 63 visa-exempt countries will need to acquire an ETIAS to enter any of the 26 countries within the Schengen Zone. The number of affected travellers will top 1.4 billion people. Countries include Albania, Israel, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and a host more! For the whole list of countries that require an ETIAS before they travel to EU countries, see here.
The EU is also permitted to make an information request if the traveller applying for an ETIAS has a relative in a European country or a third person is submitting an application on someone’s behalf. Travellers must declare their immediate travel plans.
While yet to be implemented, the EU issued guidance warning of the increased threat of targeted fraud manoeuvres around the ETIAS European visa waiver. In a publication seen by the Financial Times, EU guidelines indicated that travellers with the EITAS could experience “abusive practices” of fraudsters using copycat websites to misleadingly get applicants to submit a false EITAS application, which costs €7.
