Brits could be blocked from their holidays in Europe despite having paid a new €7 fee for a visa waiver to travel to Europe next summer. The launch date for long-delayed plans for an EU wide visa system was announced this week. Ylva Johansson, the EU home affairs commissioner, said that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) was on course to launch in spring.
That means that passengers visiting the bloc must apply for a waiver — similar to the US Esta — before travel, which will be valid for three years or until your passport expires. Brits are likely to need an ETIAS waiver in place before May half-term holidays next year, and certainly by the time the summer arrives. To do so, they must apply online or via a mobile app, with the information then checked against EU information systems for borders and security.
While most applicants will be approved within minutes, some will take up to 72 hours to be green lit. In the most complex cases, the ETIAS application may not be approved for up to 30 days. Travel experts have warned that would-be holidaymakers who apply for their ETIAS ahead of travelling may be blocked from heading to Europe because their application has not been green-lit.
A travel industry insider told the Times: “First there is EES this autumn, which will add a huge level of complexity to some journeys. Then six months later comes the ETIAS. In many ways this is the bigger hurdle as people will have to apply in advance.
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