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Date set for rollout of ETIAS permit for Brits travelling to Spain
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British citizens holidaying in the EU will soon need to apply for the permit before travelling
After countless delays and speculation, a new date has been set for the eventual roll-out of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a visa-waiver permit that British nationals will have to buy before travelling to EU countries, including Spain.
All third country citizens between the ages of 18 and 70 will have to pay around 7 euros for the documentation but the permit will then last for three years, or until the traveller’s passport expires. Over-70s will also need to apply for the ETIAS, but it will be free.
It is a completely electronic system that keeps track of visitors from countries who do not need a visa to enter the Schengen Zone. It resembles the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which serves a similar purpose.
This week, Europe’s Schengen Council gave the green light to the development of the IT systems required in airports to operate the ETIAS. All being well, this Entry/Exit System (EES) should be up and running by the autumn of 2024, meaning that ETIAS will be rolled out in airports across Spain from spring the following year.
Once travellers are required to apply for an ETIAS permit, the documentation will replace the manual stamping of passports. It’s hoped this will speed up security checks while keeping tighter control of borders.
EU citizens won’t need to apply for the permit, and the UK Parliament has detailed another exception:
“The UK and Ireland have a Common Travel Area, operating separately to Schengen. This has continued since Brexit. Ireland will not be operating either EES or the ETIAS system.
“However, neither of these systems will apply to Irish passport-holders when travelling to EU or Schengen countries.”
Also of interest: The 7 top types of visa for Brits moving to Spain after Brexit
Image: Schengen Visa Info
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