British holidaymakers will soon have to pay to enter European countries under a new scheme now that the UK has left the EU.
Fees will be paid for a new electronic travel permit which has been introduced to enhance security and enforce the borders of the Schengen area. The new visa waiver should be valid for three years and allow unlimited entry into the EU.
UK travelers will also need to complete an online application form to obtain their ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System). The application form should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.
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The ETIAS security check on EU visitors was first proposed in 2016, when the UK had yet to vote to leave the EU, before being confirmed in 2018, reports Live Chronicle. The UK severed relations with the EU on December 31, 2022, after an 11-month transition period.
British tourists planning to visit the Schengen area – which includes most EU countries in mainland Europe – will have to pay a tax of around €7 before departure, when ETIAS launches in 2023.
While UK passport holders will not need a visa to visit EU Schengen countries as tourists, they may be turned away at the border if their ETIAS application is not approved, once the program implemented. In fact, it is similar to the ESTA visa waiver system that Britons use to travel to the United States.
“ETIAS will be a largely automated IT system created to identify high security, irregular migration or epidemic risks posed by visa-exempt visitors traveling to Schengen States, while facilitating border crossings for the vast majority of travelers who do not Third-country nationals who do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen area will need to apply for a travel authorization through the ETIAS system before their trip,” said the The EU ETIAS website states.
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