Getty ImagesThe EU plans to introduce a €7 (£6) visa exemption for some non-EU citizens, including Britons, by summer 2025.
Under the new rules, visitors from a number of non-EU countries, including the UK, will have to apply for an exemption similar to the US ESTA authorization before entering 30 European countries.
The exemption applies to travel to the Schengen area, which includes all EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Here you can find out how the new program works and when it starts.
How does the EU visa waiver program work?
The new system will be called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
Currently, visitors from the UK can enter the EU’s borderless Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days every 180 days.
This also applies to citizens of over 60 non-EU countries, including the USA, Japan and Australia.
This will change under the Etias program.
Visitors from non-EU countries on the list must apply for a visa waiver every 180 days to enter the EU for the same 90-day period. A visa is required for longer stays.
When crossing the EU border, the document is checked by border officials.
The full list of non-EU countries eligible for Etias is published by the EU.
The visa exemption is valid for three years and allows an unlimited number of visits.
It will be linked to your passport, so if your passport expires in less than three years, you will need to apply for a new Etias when you receive one.
How much will the Etias cost?
The exemption costs most people €7, which the EU Commission says is “significantly cheaper” than the US ESTA, which costs $14 (€12.50; £10.75).
The fee applies to all persons between the ages of 18 and 70.
The exemption is free for children and people over 70.
When does the Etias program start?
The EU has not yet announced a fixed start date for the exemption.
The website states It will start “in the first half of 2025”.
A Home Office spokesman said the UK expected the EU to provide further information on the rollout of the scheme “in due course”.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said the visa exemption could possibly come into force by the autumn holidays in May next year.
How does the application for exemptions work?
Passengers must apply online or via a mobile app. Filling out the form – which the EU describes as a “necessary and small procedural step” – will take about 10 minutes, authorities say.
The information required for the application form includes passport information and background questions about criminal records and health status.
More than 95 percent of applications are automatically approved within minutes, the EU says, but warns that in some cases it could take up to 72 hours.
In exceptional cases, the application may be rejected or the processing time may be up to four weeks.
Why is this program being introduced?
In response to the refugee crisis and concerns about terrorism, the EU has decided to introduce increased border controls.
It states that the Etias system will “strengthen security checks for people travelling to the EU without a visa”.
According to the EU website, Etias will help EU states “assess potential risks” posed by people crossing their borders.
The aim is to prevent “cross-border crime and terrorism,” the website says.
What is the EES?
Another EU border protection system, the so-called Entry/Exit System (ESS), will be introduced on 10 November, after a Series of delays.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Johansson said the EES system would mean strict digital border controls at “every single airport,” “port” and “on the road to Europe.”
The new rules would mean that “we know if people are staying too long” and they would “make it more difficult for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports,” she says.
Under the EES system, people entering the EU must register fingerprints, a photograph and their passport details.
This initial registration is valid for three years and must be validated each time you cross a border during this time. It replaces the stamp in your passport.
However, long queues are predicted and experts warn that the introduction of the EES could increase the processing time per passenger by at least two minutes, compared to the current 45 seconds.
