Brits are soon set to face additional restrictions when travelling to EU countries. A new permit known as the ETIAS will be required for British citizens to cross the borders into Europe – and it will cost.
UK nationals will be required to have a valid ETIAS travel pass to access Europe even for short-term holidays. The 30 countries where people from the UK and a number of other nations will need an ETIAS include holiday hotspots like Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Malta.
The ETIAS scheme has been slowly coming into play since the UK left the European Union through Brexit – but it's been delayed from its original 2023 start. The pass will be linked to your passport to last for three years or until your passport expires.
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Birmingham Mail reports European Union officials said: "ETIAS travel authorisation is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of 30 European countries.
"It is linked to a traveller's passport. It is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you need to get a new ETIAS travel authorisation.
"With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, you can enter the territory of these European countries as often as you want for short-term stays – normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
"However, it does not guarantee entry. When you arrive, a border guard will ask to see your passport and other documents and verify that you meet the entry conditions."
If you have a valid passport for another country you may be exempt from needing an ETIAS pass. However, 58 nationalities will need to get the permit alongside us Brits.
Nations that need an ETIAS to enter EU:
- Albania
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Macao
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Timor Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Countries requiring an ETIAS from tourists to enter:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
An official date has not yet been announced for when the ETIAS will be required. However, it is thought that it will likely be in 2024.
The European Union website currently states that an ETIAS pass will cost €7 which is currently around £6.02. Every traveller – including children under 18 – will need the pass.
SchengenVisaInfo said: "Now that Brexit is finalised, the UK is no longer a part of the EU. Even though British citizens can still enter visa-free in other EU countries, they must register for ETIAS when it's made active.
"Until the launching of the system, more countries might be added to the list, but at the moment, all citizens of the above-mentioned countries will be obliged to obtain ETIAS authorisation before entering any EU country."
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