Travel to the European Union without a visa thanks to ETIAS

As the euro’s descent against the dollar inspires more folks to visit the continent, new measures for entry loom on the horizon. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be fully implemented by May 2023. The ETIAS is not a visa; it is a travel authorization for those who may enter the Schengen Area of the European Union without a visa, an option currently open to citizens of 63 different countries. The Schengen Area comprises 22 out of the 27 current EU countries between which travel is freely permitted.

This measure was implemented to improve overall security in the context of the waves of refugees who have fled violence and instability in their home countries. The ETIAS will be in effect for trips that are delegated as tourism or business, but not for work or long-term study.

For American travelers, the requirements include basic biographical information like age, nationality and address, as well as a series of questions about criminal history and prior travel to conflict areas. Requirements vary by country, with some asking for the information of relatives living in the EU or proof of finances and health insurance. If a traveler is basing their stay in Europe on a bilateral agreement between their home country and their destination, the ETIAS may not be needed, but the traveler is also not permitted to freely exit and enter countries in the Schengen area.

Plans for the ETIAS went into effect in 2016, just a year after the refugee migration began to increase in the wake of the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. Two of the stated goals of ETIAS implementation include, “Assist in detecting and decreasing crime and terrorism” and “Impede irregular migration.” Some netizens from nonwhite developing countries have voiced dissatisfaction with the measure. Already, visa processes to enter Europe from nonwhite developing countries are more extensive, more expensive, less transparent and can require wait-times that cause missed opportunities. Many see the ETIAS as an extension of policies that are already designed to discriminate against people of color who wish to gain entry to Europe.