ETIAS (for most non-EU)

Voyageur

Ambassador
Ambassador
FOTCM Member
If I missed a prior mention of ETIAS (European Travel Information Authorization System) in another thread after searching, apologies (mods could move this please).

Prefaced here, is that there are always prudent reasons to have some basic security systems in place for any country, I mean you don't want 19 Arabs with box cutters arriving on your doorstep under false pretenses while learning how to fly airplanes ;) However, because this is all 'electronic,' it is just not so easy for the elderly or for those who decide not to tout a smart phone or Mac. The electronic architecture to do all this, though, is sure to evolve, like the ArriveCan app, or it might be a EUorBust app, or maybe it will all evolve to the Klausapp for all.

Regarding being prudent, yes, you can't have this happen, or proved Visas for al-Qaeda, or more recently the Zelinsky visas story. No, this should be understood.

Although this article relates to Canadians, the list is vast ("63 countries"), and the reasons for refusals are stated, which well could expand under each subsection that might not produce the desired good-to-go ✅.


Basically, for those not aware, starting in 2023 there are added requirements to enter the EU.

Here is "How it works" (suppose to work) and the affected countries:

The application will ask for personal data and travel documents like a passport and the first EU country you intend to visit. It’ll also ask questions about criminal records, presence in conflict zones, and orders to leave any EU countries.

You will be approved if your application form is correct and not flagged as a security risk. According to the site, the procedure is expected to be completed in only a few minutes.

However, if the ETIAS finds something risky in your application, it’ll be manually processed for about four days or a maximum of two weeks.

Once you obtain ETIAS authorization, it’ll be valid for three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

Your ETIAS application can be denied for reasons that are listed on its site.

The EU has not confirmed the date when travellers can begin filling out the ETIAS application.

Here’s the complete list of countries that will require ETIAS approval starting May 2023.

  • 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 S.A.R*
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Kiribati
  • Macao S.A.R*
  • Malaysia
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Moldova
  • Montenegro
  • Nauru
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • North Macedonia
  • Palau
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent
  • 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
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela

Curiously, Russia is not on the list, however Ukraine is, and with the way the EU leaders have been clapping for Ukraine, they may get added to the Schengen Zone in due course - however, too, it cites those who have had "presence in conflict zones," which then might add Russia to the list and keep Ukraine there as well. How tidy for the EU.

From that little embedded link above, the drill down to "something risky" provides for a little more on being denied:

Can my ETIAS application be denied?​

Yes, any ETIAS application can be denied if there is anything wrong with it, like the following:

  • The person applying has used a travel document that is reported as lost, stolen, misappropriated or invalidated in the Schengen Information System – SIS II.
  • The applicant poses a security risk for the citizens and travellers of the Schengen Area.
  • The applicant poses an illegal immigration risk.
  • The applicant poses a high epidemic risk. {could that be none vaccinated risk?}
  • An applicant is a person for whom there is an existing alert in SIS for the purpose of refusing entry and stay.
  • The applicant fails to reply to a request for extra information or documentation within the deadline given.
  • The applicant fails to attend an extra interview when required.
A travel authorisation can also be rejected in cases where there are reasonable and serious doubts about the authenticity of the information given and the supporting documents submitted by the person applying.

What if my ETIAS application is denied?​

Within minutes of your submission of the application, you will get a response on the status of your ETIAS. If it is approved, congratulations! If not, though, you will get the denial message. In the denial message, you will also have a reason as to why the ETIAS was denied. You could appeal this decision, or based on the denial reason, you can adjust your application and try again.

How can I appeal an ETIAS rejection decision?​

Every rejected applicant has the right to appeal the decision when he/she has proof the decision has been taken unjustly or by mistake.
The appeal procedures should be explained to applicants by the ETIAS National Unit of the Member State, which is responsible for rejecting the application.

Lastly (with more that can be read from within the links):

How does ETIAS check my information?​

ETIAS will be connected to many databases which can verify your information within minutes. That is why it’s important for all applicants to give honest responses and not try giving false information. If you are caught giving fraudulent information to the ETIAS system, you will be denied authorization. In addition, if your ETIAS is approved, but you are later found with incorrect or false information, your ETIAS will be revoked.

Had always though that the country issued passport was okay, if not a little difficult to obtain. That's the passport where you stand in a line for two weeks (wait another four), jump through hoops, do double back flips and hand stands, provide a good portion of your after tax dollars, and promise to be good while acknowledging that the passport is only issued, not owned (so do not lose it or else), and it is not a right, it is a privilege; please sign here in ink. The German customs official who received it was also pretty good at checking it out and saying okay; at least it worked.

So, will have to see how all this goes, and what the EU looks like in 2023, least one forget what the non-EU looks like.

Happy Travels.
 
Back
Top Bottom