The buzzword for travel to Europe in 2024 will be ETIAS – European Travel Information and Authorisation System. But what exactly is an ETIAS visa waiver, and who will need it?
The Etias Visa Waiver was created to monitor travel and increase security through the Schengen area countries in Europe. ETIAS is not a visa but an electronic travel authorisation for visa-exempt non-EU citizens such as the post-Brexit United Kingdom.
From 2024, it will be a mandatory entry requirement for people arriving in Europe from 59 normally visa-exempt countries, including the UK and the USA.
Without the Etias Visa Waiver, travellers from these countries will not be permitted entry into countries in the Schengen Area.
Travellers from countries already part of the Schengen area will be exempt from needing Etias to travel around neighbouring European countries.
This travel guide may contain affiliate links – For more information, please read my disclaimer and privacy policy.
Do you need to arrange travel insurance, car hire or accommodation? Please check out my resources page to help you plan your trip.
The Etias Visa Waiver will come into play from 2024. After that, travellers who want to travel to Europe must register online and pay a small fee.
The fee for ages 18-70 will cost 7EUR. Children under 18 and adults over 70 will not have to pay this fee but will still have to apply for the visa waiver.
Travelling to popular European holiday destinations, such as France, Spain and Italy, from normally visa-except countries will require a visa waiver in the future.
The visa waiver will be valid for three consecutive years or until your passport expires if this is sooner. It will need to be renewed after this time and will cover multiple trips to Europe during these three years.
How to Get a Visa Waiver
Online registration should be straightforward. Once the ETIAS visa waiver has been issued, travel to either a single country or through multiple Schengen countries during one trip will be allowed.
For example, a city break to one European country or a road trip through several European countries.
Travellers to Europe should remember that each stay must not exceed 90 days in a 180-day period.
Countries such as Russia, China and India that are not eligible for ETIAS must apply for Schengen Visa.
The information I have provided in this post is a general overview of the Etias Visa Waiver. The information has been gathered from Etias.com which provides a list of the European countries where travellers will need an ETIAS visa to enter from 2024.
Please Pin for Future Travel to Europe
Are you looking for further advice for travelling to Europe? Please check out the following posts: