But, fear not, plebs \u2013 the ETIAS will not only enhance safety, but it will also make travel easier and more efficient! I don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019m definitely sold! Whenever the government does things for our safety, it always makes life so much better, right? Wait a second\u2026.<\/p>\n
Keep on reading to find out about the ETIAS and what it could mean for your future travel to Europe, as well as your future in general.<\/p>\n
What is Europe\u2019s Schengen area?<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Schengen\"](\"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2.png\")
<\/strong><\/h2>\nFirst off, let\u2019s define what Europe\u2019s Schengen area actually is. Touted as the world\u2019s largest visa-free zone, the \u201cSchengen Area\u00a0signifies a zone where 27 European countries abolished their internal borders for the free and unrestricted movement of people\u201d, as per schengenvisainfo.com<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe following countries are currently included in the Schengen area:<\/p>\n
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,\u00a0Germany,\u00a0Greece, Hungary,\u00a0Iceland,\u00a0Italy,\u00a0Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.<\/p>\n
For the 60-countries that currently enjoy visa-free travel within the Schengen area, visitors are able to travel seamlessly between all of the above countries for 90-days within any 180-day period without any border controls.<\/p>\n
Introducing the ETIAS<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"ETIAS\"](\"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Enter the ETIAS, which is essentially a pre-screening tool meant to keep any \u201cpotential threats\u201d out of Europe. Not to be confused with a visa, the ETIAS is a visa waiver program, meant to strengthen the EU\u2019s border security.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry, it will not affect the thousands of migrants entering Europe every day, it is only for people trying to visit legally. Kind of like expecting gun control to cut down on crimes committed by criminals with illegal firearms. But, I digress.<\/p>\n
The process to get your ETIAS approval is pretty straightforward and is done 100% online in about 20 minutes. You fill out an online questionnaire where you will be asked to provide the following information (as per the European Union<\/a>):<\/p>\n\n- Personal information including your name(s), date and place of birth, sex, nationalities, home address, email address and phone number(s);<\/li>\n
- Your parents\u2019 first name(s);<\/li>\n
- Travel document details;<\/li>\n
- Your level of education and current occupation;<\/li>\n
- The country of your first intended stay and the address of your destination;<\/li>\n
- Details about any past criminal convictions, past travels to war or conflict zones, and whether you have recently been the subject of a return decision.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Your information will be cross-checked against various databases and you should have your approval within minutes, in most cases. Once you have your approval, it is digitally linked to your passport and you are good to go for 3-years. The cost to apply is low, at only 7 Euros.<\/p>\n
All in all, it sounds like a pretty quick and easy process.<\/p>\n
Schengen Visas vs. ETIAS<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Schengen](\"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/4.png\")
<\/p>\n
You might be wondering, what is the difference between Schengen visas and the ETIAS? Here\u2019s the Cole\u2019s Notes version:<\/p>\n
Schengen Visas<\/h3>\n
For countries without visa-free access to Europe\u2019s Schengen area, potential visitors must physically go and apply for their visa at the embassy or consulate of their destination country. It can take several weeks to get approved for your visa, and, if you want to travel to more than one country in the area, you need to apply for a visa in the country in which you will be spending the most time.<\/p>\n
Once approved, your visa is physically entered into your passport. Once you have your visa, you have the ability to stay in the Schengen area for 90-days in a 180-day period. (Source: https:\/\/www.schengenvisainfo.com\/how-to-apply-schengen-visa\/<\/a>)<\/p>\nETIAS visa waivers<\/h3>\n
The ETIAS visa waiver is for those people from countries with visa-free access to Europe. As mentioned above, it is a much faster process done fully online and linked digitally to your passport. It acts as essentially a pre-screening tool for visitors with visa-free access to the Schengen area.<\/p>\n
When does the ETIAS come into effect?<\/strong><\/h2>\nWell, the good news is, after numerous delays, ETIAS is still not slated to come into effect until mid-2025<\/a>. So, you still have some time to enjoy your visa-free travel to Europe without this additional step.<\/p>\nIs ETIAS the first of its kind?<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Is](\"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/5-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Nope! The United States already has a visa waiver form called ESTA<\/a>, which stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. It\u2019s essentially the same thing as ETIAS, requiring visitors with visa-free access to the U.S. to apply ahead of time for pre-screening purposes. In Canada, we have the eTA<\/a>, or Electronic Travel Authorization. A few other countries have something similar, too.<\/p>\nIn all cases where a visa waiver is present, you will need either a visa or a visa waiver to enter the country, but not both.<\/p>\n
Is this a pre-cursor to digital ID?<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Is](\"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Probably! It\u2019s pretty clear that most of the world\u2019s governments are dragging us in this direction, along with organizations such as the WEF and the WHO. Once they digitize and link everything, they will have the power to control your movement as they see fit. This is never about security<\/em>, it\u2019s always about control<\/em>.<\/p>\nI also found this gem while researching for this article:<\/p>\n
\u201cIn order to obtain the\u00a0Canadian ETIAS visa waiver for Europe, Canadian citizens must answer some background questions on the subject of security and potential health risks.\u201d (Source: https:\/\/www.etias.ca\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/h2>\nFirst off, let\u2019s define what Europe\u2019s Schengen area actually is. Touted as the world\u2019s largest visa-free zone, the \u201cSchengen Area\u00a0signifies a zone where 27 European countries abolished their internal borders for the free and unrestricted movement of people\u201d, as per schengenvisainfo.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n The following countries are currently included in the Schengen area:<\/p>\n Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,\u00a0Germany,\u00a0Greece, Hungary,\u00a0Iceland,\u00a0Italy,\u00a0Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.<\/p>\n For the 60-countries that currently enjoy visa-free travel within the Schengen area, visitors are able to travel seamlessly between all of the above countries for 90-days within any 180-day period without any border controls.<\/p>\n Enter the ETIAS, which is essentially a pre-screening tool meant to keep any \u201cpotential threats\u201d out of Europe. Not to be confused with a visa, the ETIAS is a visa waiver program, meant to strengthen the EU\u2019s border security.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry, it will not affect the thousands of migrants entering Europe every day, it is only for people trying to visit legally. Kind of like expecting gun control to cut down on crimes committed by criminals with illegal firearms. But, I digress.<\/p>\n The process to get your ETIAS approval is pretty straightforward and is done 100% online in about 20 minutes. You fill out an online questionnaire where you will be asked to provide the following information (as per the European Union<\/a>):<\/p>\n Your information will be cross-checked against various databases and you should have your approval within minutes, in most cases. Once you have your approval, it is digitally linked to your passport and you are good to go for 3-years. The cost to apply is low, at only 7 Euros.<\/p>\n All in all, it sounds like a pretty quick and easy process.<\/p>\n You might be wondering, what is the difference between Schengen visas and the ETIAS? Here\u2019s the Cole\u2019s Notes version:<\/p>\n For countries without visa-free access to Europe\u2019s Schengen area, potential visitors must physically go and apply for their visa at the embassy or consulate of their destination country. It can take several weeks to get approved for your visa, and, if you want to travel to more than one country in the area, you need to apply for a visa in the country in which you will be spending the most time.<\/p>\n Once approved, your visa is physically entered into your passport. Once you have your visa, you have the ability to stay in the Schengen area for 90-days in a 180-day period. (Source: https:\/\/www.schengenvisainfo.com\/how-to-apply-schengen-visa\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n The ETIAS visa waiver is for those people from countries with visa-free access to Europe. As mentioned above, it is a much faster process done fully online and linked digitally to your passport. It acts as essentially a pre-screening tool for visitors with visa-free access to the Schengen area.<\/p>\n Well, the good news is, after numerous delays, ETIAS is still not slated to come into effect until mid-2025<\/a>. So, you still have some time to enjoy your visa-free travel to Europe without this additional step.<\/p>\n Nope! The United States already has a visa waiver form called ESTA<\/a>, which stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. It\u2019s essentially the same thing as ETIAS, requiring visitors with visa-free access to the U.S. to apply ahead of time for pre-screening purposes. In Canada, we have the eTA<\/a>, or Electronic Travel Authorization. A few other countries have something similar, too.<\/p>\n In all cases where a visa waiver is present, you will need either a visa or a visa waiver to enter the country, but not both.<\/p>\n Probably! It\u2019s pretty clear that most of the world\u2019s governments are dragging us in this direction, along with organizations such as the WEF and the WHO. Once they digitize and link everything, they will have the power to control your movement as they see fit. This is never about security<\/em>, it\u2019s always about control<\/em>.<\/p>\n I also found this gem while researching for this article:<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to obtain the\u00a0Canadian ETIAS visa waiver for Europe, Canadian citizens must answer some background questions on the subject of security and potential health risks.\u201d (Source: https:\/\/www.etias.ca\/<\/a>)<\/p>\nIntroducing the ETIAS<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\n
Schengen Visas vs. ETIAS<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nSchengen Visas<\/h3>\n
ETIAS visa waivers<\/h3>\n
When does the ETIAS come into effect?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is ETIAS the first of its kind?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nIs this a pre-cursor to digital ID?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"Start](\"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/7-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n