The citizens of the United States might be needing to get additional authorization for visiting Schengen zone countries that would allow them to travel around the European Union. ETIAS, which is European Travel Information and Authorization System is an additional step that can help provide additional security to the countries and you might be needing to get an ETIAS visa soon, as this rule would start being applicable from January 2021.
The nationals, including those of the US, would be required to get this authorization done. 60 countries in total would have to apply for ETIAS and this system would start getting implemented from 2021. There are so many doubts regarding ETIAS and you can get your ETIAS application questions solved by reading this article.
The cost of ETIAS application submission has not been decided yet, but tentatively, the charges can range from anywhere between $15 and $70. Once you get approval, you would freely be able to move around Schengen zone countries which would be for 90 days in a 180-day period as per the regulations.
What Is The Schengen Zone In Actuality?
What exactly the Schengen zone is that it is a group of around 26 countries, most of which are from the European Union. Right now, if you are a citizen of any of the countries that lie within this band, you can take a trip to other countries without the need for a passport or visa. ETIAS is actually an agreement that has been signed by around 60 countries. Ireland and the UK have refused to be a part of this authorization process. Countries like Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania are expected to give their approval for coming under this system soon.
You can apply for ETIAS online and the documents that you would need to produce would be your valid passport. A debit or credit card might also be necessary. The passport that you would show should not be expiring within 3 months of your trip to the EU. However, if you are planning to stay there for a span of 90 days then the passport should have a validity of six months.
The form would ask for your details like name, gender, passport details, contact number, birth date and such other important bits of information. The whole procedure of the ETIAS application can take about twenty minutes for you to complete. Once you fill and submit the ETIAS form, the database and watchlists would do their work at verifying your details and making sure that you would not pose any threat related to security or cause any conflicts. Once verified, you can receive the approval message within minutes of submitting your ETIAS application.
Kids would also need to apply for ETIAS and get their verification done online. However, the fee for those below the age of 18 and over the age of 70 would be waived off. For children who are under eighteen years of age, the guardian would be required to complete and submit their ETIAS application.
ETIAS differs from a visa as a visa application process can be quite lengthy and consume a significant amount of time. The visa is necessary is you want to stay in a Schengen Zone for a duration lasting more than 90 days. You would have to specify a country as the entry point for your travel and you would have to go to this country for taking your entry into the Schengen zone. You cannot choose other countries for taking entry into this area.
What exactly the purpose of ETIAS is that ETIAS allows people to be verified and pre-screened before they get into their passport control line. Doing this can help prevent security threats to these regions and even make illegal migration lesser in magnitude.
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